Living Memory
by kirikarin
Summary: Dante is a man with no memory of his past. Hermione Weasley's husband disappeared two years ago during a confrontation with Death Eaters. Pre OotP & complete.
1. Dante

Living Memory

Chapter One: Dante

            I am Dante.  That is all.  Nothing else.  I have no last name, nor is Dante my real name.  It's just something that I call myself, so that everyone else can call me that.  I have no memory of my past.  I can only live in the present and perhaps think of the future.  

            Why?  I have no memory of who I am.  Or what I was.  I am merely a shadow.  A shadow that reflects memories of who I was.  I can remember shadows.  I've been like this for two years of my life.  Two years ago…the doctors assumed I knew who I was.  I have to believe them because they're not as fucked up as I am.  

            What does a man do with no memory?  He spends his time living from day to day.  I am a private investigator of sorts.  I'm investigating myself.  I look into the mirror and I don't recognize myself.  I see my red hair and blue eyes starting back at me.  I see that I'm tall and skinny with some muscles.  Other than that I had a hard time waking up each morning, looking at a face I didn't recognize.

            There is a clue to who or what I was.  The doctors at the hospital found a gold ring on my left ring finger.  They said that I was a married man.  I still wear my ring.  It's the only thing I know about my past.  It has an inscription in it: "R.W. + H.G. 14/2/2003. 4 EVER."  I don't know which one I am.  I think the date is my wedding date.  The nurses said that was some kind of holiday called Valentine's Day.  I married someone on Valentine's Day two years ago.  No memories of the person I married.  Nothing.  All I have is my wedding band.  At least, I believe it is my wedding band. It's hard to tell if anyone is telling you the truth when you don't know who you are.  But, it's the only thing I have to believe in.  

            I wake up every morning in a new place.  Different places.  I keep going from hotel or motel to other places.  There's nothing really there for me.  I keep looking for any answers to my past.  I've thought of filling out a missing person report on myself, but I never get around to it.  I live in London, England.  At least, for right now.  

*

            He's been gone for two years now.  They never found his body.  And here I am looking at our son as he toddles around the living room.  He has his father's red hair and blue eyes.  He looks up at me with those eyes.  Sometimes it's too painful to even look at my own son.  It makes me think of him.

            I didn't even know I was pregnant until a few weeks after the last confrontation with the Death Eaters.  It took the Aurors days to find the site where the last confrontation took place.  It looked like someone had been through there.  Ron's body wasn't found among the bodies.  There was a trail of his blood leading out of the site, but nothing more.  What was left of his wand was found at the site.  It was just splinters.  We were married for less than six months when he disappeared.  I say disappeared because I cannot bring myself to even think that he is dead.  Not until a body is found.  

            "Tyler come to Mummy," I said to my son who looks up at me with those painfully blue eyes.  He thrust his arms up into the air to make me pick him up.  I pick him up and go to the next room.  There are pictures of his father everywhere, so that he knows who his father is.  He's all I have left of my husband.  "Hi, Dada!" he cries out as he waves at the pictures.  I hug his tiny body even harder.  

            My husband's family visits with us often, and I'm always invited to all the family events.  Our best friend, Harry comes and checks up on Tyler and me all the time.  He acts as Tyler's father figure.  

            After so much time past, people were saying that he probably left me.  I don't believe that for a second.  My husband loved me.  I would rather wait a million years for him to return, rather than even think of moving on with my life.  I only move on with certain things for my son's…_our son's_…sake.  I will tell Tyler that his father was one of the best Aurors the Ministry of Magic had.  I can feel he's alive.  I just know it.

*

            I woke up the next morning in a hole in the wall of a motel room.  My cell phone woke me up that morning.  Probably a job.  I do jobs all over the world.  It pays great.  I get a call and I do a job.  Now, before you say I have no morals, let me say that it's pretty hard to stick to a code of morals if you can't remember ever them.

            Besides, some bastard out there stole my life from me.  I figure it's the cosmic law of the universe.  If someone fucks you up, you should fuck someone else up.  And since I don't know who messed me up, I have no choice, but to mess around with other people's lives.  I figure life isn't fair, and so I don't have to be fair.  Besides, it's practice until I figure out who stole my life from me.  

            The call tells me I have to do a hit in New York.  They're paying for everything.  I travel with some money, but I have a Swiss Bank account.  I swear when I came out of the hospital I was more messed up than I thought I was.  I didn't remember how to use a telephone or a computer.  That's really bad.  Everyone uses that stuff.  And there were lots of other things I didn't know how to use or even knew what they were.  I've been relearning everything.  

            The only thing that worries me is what my wife would think.  I look down at my wedding ring again.  At least, I think I'm married to a woman.  I'm pretty sure.  Sometimes I have dreams that I'm making love to a woman.  It's always the same woman.  I don't remember much how she looks like.  All I know is, I loved to run my fingers through her hair.  It's thick, curly, and like silk.  I can hear myself breathing deeply and her moaning in the darkness of our room.  In my dreams, this woman, my wife, says that she loves me.  I just kiss her lips and let her sleep on top of my chest.  Sometimes we made love during the day, but mostly at night.  Or at least that's the time I remember.  We made love often.  Or maybe, I'm just having the same dreams over and over again.  

            I get up and run my hand on my chin.  I probably should shave.  I usually keep the stubble.  It's too much trouble to shave all the damn time.  I run my hand through my short hair.  I put on my coat.  I don't wear a tie usually.  I don't see myself in polite society that often.  It's pretty hard to introduce myself.  In polite society, they ask you for your full name.  Hell, I don't have a real name, let alone a full name.  

            Dante was the name I picked off a book.  He was the one who wrote a long poem written in Italian called _The Inferno_.  Dante means lasting.  So, I figured it's bound to make a lasting impression on the people I meet.  

            I sigh as I waited for the image of the target to come to me in my e-mail.  I look at the picture.  It's a woman.  I have no problems killing women.  Life's not far.  Besides, she looks nothing like the woman I'm married to.  At least, I don't think so.  She looks like she's only in her late teens.  Who am I to judge?  I don't even know how old I am really.  I think I'm in my mid-twenties.  I can't tell.  

            Anyway, this girl's got short, jet-black hair.  One lock covers one of her brown eyes.  She's going to school in New York.  It's an easy hit.  No challenge whatsoever.  I was known as one of the best in the business.  Yeah, whatever.  At least, I'm doing something that some people will remember me for.  Because no one else from my past has come to look for me.  No one from past, not even my wife came to me when I woke up in that hospital.  So, I assume either I'm really a missing person, or no one from my past wants to know me anymore.

            After all the things I've done in the past two years, it would be better that no one from my past knows me.  I don't think they would recognize me anymore after the things I've done.  I don't leave much time to feel shame.  

            I feel nothing at all.

AN: It's a mystery and a thriller.  And a little confusing at the beginning.  ^_^  This fic came to me during my Psychology class.  We were watching a movie called _Momento_, but in this story, I've decided to give amnesia instead.  I also thought it would be darker than my other fics, and a lot more swearing.  I plan on going back to third person, unless anyone has objects to that.  I thought it would be interesting to open the fic this way.  Angel of the Apocalypse is still up and running.  For now, just play some guessing games as to what will happen next here.  ^_~

Disclaimer:  As always, I don't own Harry Potter.  I don't.  If you've been living under a rock for the past few years, or have amnesia like Ron, then you must know that J.K. Rowling owns the rights along with some other companies.  ^_~


	2. Jack of All Trades

Living Memory

Chapter Two: Jack of All Trades

            Dante got on a plane using false identification along with a fake passport to go to America to do his job.  He was one of the best in the business.  He really wasn't an assassin, not on the level most would think.  Rather, he was a man who did various jobs for his clients.  Some of them involved killing people, others involved stealing things.  He was a Jack of All Trades.  

            He had two choices in his life.  With no memory, he could spend his time looking for either information on himself, or doing his job.  Most people reached him either by his cell phone or e-mail.  The client's target was a college co-ed in New York City named Skye Jones.  The girl was only nineteen years old.  All his clients paid him via depositing money into his Swiss Bank account or by cash.  

            The stewardess in first class gave him flirtatious look until she spotted the gold band on his left ring finger.  He smiled to himself.  Despite, his appearance, women still found him handsome.  Dante wasn't the type to be clean shaven, and he wasn't the type to tuck in his shirt or wear a tie.  The women were attracted to his rugged looks.  He looked like a model out of a Calvin Klein ad.  He had a window seat, so that no one would trample over him to get to their seat.

            "The flight bound for New York City, New York is now board.  Please listen to all safety procedures," said the stewardess.  Dante ignored everything she said and put on some headphones.  

*

            Hermione Weasley was having some difficulty with her very active son.  He was running around too much, and she had to catch him so that she could go to work as a psychologist at the Ministry.  She was a forensics psychologist for the Ministry of Magic, specifically for the Aurors.  "Ty!  Please come to me now," she ordered him.

            He looked up at her and looked rather ashamed of himself.  "Mummy.  Sowie," said Tyler as he made his eyes tear up for good measure.

            "You have to go to grandma's," announced Hermione.  He smiled at her as she gathered up some of his things.  They went through the fireplace back to the Burrow.  Where his grandmother was already waiting for them.

            "Hello, Molly," said Hermione.  She couldn't bring herself to call her "Mum", but Molly Weasley insisted that her daughter-in-law not call her "Mrs. Weasley."  Tyler ran for his grandmother who picked him up.  "I have to go.  I'm running late because I had to get him to stand still for a minute," she said.

            "Don't worry about him.  You just a great day at work," assured Mrs. Weasley.  She watched as Hermione went through the fire again.  She smiled at her smallest grandchild.  He was so much like his father.  He looked like him and acted like him as well.  

            Tyler Ronald Weasley was born one month premature.  His mother was a wreck more or less, so Mrs. Weasley made sure that Tyler and Hermione stayed at the Burrow after they returned from the hospital.  At first, Hermione was unresponsive to her son because he looked so much like his father.  Poor little Tyler became the thing that snapped Hermione out of her depression.  After staying at the Burrow for three months, they returned to their home in London.  Hermione went back to work at the Aurors because that was where she and Ron worked at.  They were two parts of a team that included Harry Potter.  The three of them were the best Aurors in the world.  Hermione chose to stay in the lab more after Ty was born, and Harry was Ty's godfather.  

            Mrs. Weasley looked at her grandson.  He was so small, but he was going to grow up as big as his father.  She wished that Ron at least knew that Hermione was expecting their baby.  Ty wanted to get down and he let his grandmother know it.  She put him down with a sigh as he ran for his little bag and pulled out a book.  "I wanna hear a storwey, Grandmum.  Pleasee," he pleaded.

            "All right," agreed Mrs. Weasley as she took his little hand and they went to the living room.

*

            New York City was cloudy.  Dante didn't mind.  He wasn't there for the weather.  He had on his sunglasses that made him look like a predator.  He swept through customs very easily and picked up his only suitcase from the luggage claim.  Dante wasn't stupid enough to think he could get any weapons through the airport.  Let alone an American one.  

            Besides as a professional, Dante knew better than to use the same weapons for each hit or job he did.  Instead, he would get his weapons along with the first installment of his pay for each job at a pre-arranged location.

            He had no trouble cutting through the crowds at the airport because for one thing he was taller than most men, and for another thing, people knew better than to run into him.  He didn't look outwardly dangerous, but people instinctively knew he was.  He took a cab to his hotel to find that a package was waiting for him.

            He tipped the bellhop who showed him the way to his room and dropped off the suitcase for him.  Dante opened the package and found a .35 caliber for the job, and a neat stack of bills.  The girl was at school.  And it was already late in the afternoon.  Dante was used to living out of a suitcase.  He unpacked what little he had and changed out of his clothes.  He never slept in pajamas, just a pair of boxers.  

            Dante looked at the gun and took it apart.  It was amazing.  When he came out of the hospital, he had no idea how a gun worked.  And now he could take one apart and put it back together with his eyes closed.  He looked at the ample supply of bullets that were provide as well.  He loaded the cartridges with them.  The steel felt cold against his skin.  He pressed the top barrel of his gun against his forehead.  It was his ritual with his weapons.  Not that he couldn't kill without them, he knew how to do that.  However, the client gave him a weapon, so he had to use it.  Very rarely did any of Dante's clients didn't provide him with weapons, and he swore that they all lacked imagination.  Who was he to question them?  They paid him, and he did as he was told.  He never kept the weapons after the job.  He cleaned them up and disposed of them properly.  In fact, he loaded the bullets into the cartridges while wearing gloves.  Dante liked revolvers better.  He didn't know why perhaps it was because of their old fashion charm, but he supposed the automatics were just as good.  Besides, there was nothing like a game of Russian roulette to make one feel alive.

            Dante knew that he was never really all there because sometimes the things he saw seemed so new to him.  The hardest things he had problems with were electronic devices.  Yes, he had a laptop computer that made him look like a businessman, but he really do much on it other than e-mail and web surfing.  Another thing that seemed really alien to him when he woke up was the currency, it didn't matter if it was British pounds or American dollars, he still had problems counting out cash.  

            He stood up after he was done with the gun and looked out the window as the sun sank into the skyline.  Tomorrow the really work began, so without even getting something to eat, he decided to get rid of his jet lag instead.

*

            Harry Potter was already at the office when Hermione showed up for work.  "You're a little late this morning.  My godson giving you a hard time?" asked Harry.  Hermione gave him a nod.  Her hair was tied back.  It wasn't as bushy as it was when they were going to Hogwarts.  She took the time to put stuff in it in the mornings, and if the mood suited her she would even straighten it. She put stuff in it that made the curls come together.  Her figure wasn't skinny, but a curvy hourglass shape.  It took her a few months to get her figure back after Tyler was born.  

            "No more than usual.  Honestly, I swear, I don't think he's listening to me sometimes.  Harry?  Harry?" asked Hermione when she noticed that Harry wasn't paying attention to her either.

            "Uh?  I'm sorry I wasn't listening," joked Harry.  Hermione punched his arm for good measure.  He glanced at her desk.  There was a wedding picture of her and Ron and a picture of Tyler a few days after he was born.  

            "I have some work to do in the labs," said Hermione.  She studied crime scenes in the wizarding world.  As a forensic psychologist, she would be labeled under American standards as a profiler.  

            Harry and Ron were field agents.  Harry was Ron's partner when he was still with them.  Ron was the only partner who was equal to Harry in skill.  In the past two years, Harry had gone through no less than six partners.  No one could be found who could keep up with him.  He knew that Hermione was holding out for Ron's returned, but after so much time passed, Harry wasn't as optimistic.  

*

            The next morning, Dante rose out of bed early.  He took a cab to the university that Skye Jones was attending.  Dante had his gun in a holster that he packed in his suitcase.  The cab driver came to the stop, and Dante paid him and got out of the cab.  

            He walked up to the university.  According to the information he gathered about Skye Jones, she was coming out of her biology lecture.  He looked at the room where she emerged from.  He followed her all the way to a parking lot and came up from behind her.  He pressed the gun to her back.  "Hello, Skye Jones," he whispered to her from behind.

            Her body tensed up as she kept her face forward.  "Who are you?" she asked without fear in her voice.  Dante smiled slightly.  The girl was tough.  He noticed that she had an English accent that was faded away slightly.  "I think you know what I'm here for," he said simply.  "Don't turn around."

            He took the keys from her hand.  He unlocked the car door and shoved her inside,  and he walked to the passenger's side and let himself into the car.  She had no idea what the man in the black suit with sky blue shirt with killer sunglasses really wanted from her.  He got into to the car, and with a voice barely above a whisper he said, "Drive."  She didn't ask to where.  She turned on the ignition and drove.  He told her where to turn and which streets to go down.  

            Finally they came to an empty parking lot that had nothing, but weeds in it.  He ordered out of the car.  She noticed that the sun caught his red hair, and he was handsome, but there was a coldness in his actions.  "On your knees," he ordered her.  His voice was louder, so she could an English accent.

            "Please…don't do this.  Who are you?" she pleaded with him as her eyes filled with tears.  The man pressed gun to the back of her skull.   

            "My name is Dante," he said.

            The tears went away for a moment because she was surprised.  Why did he answer her?  "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

            "Because I do as I am told," he answered.  His voice didn't sound cold nor angry.  What scared her was the lack of emotion in his voice.  It was so inhuman.

            She closed her eyes waiting for the bullet.  It seemed like an eternity had passed and then suddenly, a phone rang.  He answered it without taking the gun off her skull.  He said only said yes, and hung up.  "Looks like you got a reprieve," he said.  And the pressure from the barrel of his gun was gone from the back of her skull.  Skye breathed deeply as if she were afraid to turn around.  When she did, the man was gone.  It was as if he had disappeared into thin air.

AN; Ah, a mystery.  I've always wanted to write a good mystery.  I'm a big fan of mystery novels.  And I love action movies.  One of the reviews said that I should go into detail about guns, clothes, and technique.  I was planning on doing it anyway.  Besides, I'm going for sort of a noir film feeling here.  Why was Dante ordered to stop killing Skye Jones?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  J.K. Rowling does.  Me own this story.  


	3. Arrival of the Dragon

Living Memory

Chapter Three: Arrival of the Dragon

            "He has retrograde amnesia.   Which means that there is only damage done to his long-term memory.  He cannot recall any old information.  Anything, including his name and age.  According to the PET and MRI scans, there seems to be no permanent damage to his hippocampus and front or parietal lobes.  So, from this point on he should have no problem forming new memories and retrieving them," said the psychiatrist to the nurse methodically as if he wasn't even in the room.

            He turned his back to them and their conversation with strange words.  Everything was too white and bright at the hospital.  He felt like he was being exposed to the world for them to prod and poke him.  He didn't have a name, and they called him John Doe for some unknown reason.  That was the name they gave to people who either didn't know their names or had names.  He didn't like it.  

            Dante didn't know why the client called him to cancel the hit, nor did he care.  As long as he was still paid, it didn't matter.  The world was so foreign to him.  The people were all normal, but he didn't think he was.  He had walked back to the hotel.  Luckily he didn't take Skye Jones that far from his hotel.  The gun was still in his possession, and he would have to dispose of it later.  

            He knew people in New York City, and all over the world.  These people where considered the underworld.  People who did things for a living that most people wouldn't dream of doing.  He was labeled as a Jack-of-All-Trades, but he considered himself at times more like a shadow.  His memory loss gave him an advantage over most of the people in his line of work.  Without a past, he could be anything.  And he rarely felt guilty.  Would he have felt guilty about killing Skye Jones?  No.

            There was a bar in Brooklyn that he went to after the job.  He came into the bar without any trouble and ordered some dry scotch.  He wasn't the type to do much heavy drinking, but he did like some liquor every once in a while.  He didn't smoke, except for the occasionally cigar.  No drugs either.  Those screwed with people's brains, and his head was messed up enough.  (AN: I think I've given Ron enough vices.  ^_^)

            "Hey, Dante, my man!" hollered a man with black hair and brown eyes.  He had a goatee that made him look like a beatnik.  

            "Hello Brian," said Dante without any expression on his face.

            "What brings you to my neck of the concrete jungle?  I thought your stomping grounds are back in the U.K," said Brian.  

            "I got a job," said Dante simple.  Both of them worked in the same line of work, so Brain knew better than to ask questions.

            "Well, I can you some hot spots in town if you want," said Brian.  He didn't know much about him, so he was always interested in finding out more about him.  Dante looked at him with his blue eyes narrowed slightly.  "Okay, I guess not," he said.  

            Dante swallowed the last of his scotch and left the bar.  He knew better than to get too comfortable with other people in his work.  Trust was something that was unaffordable.  The first rule for any Jack-of-All-Trades was survival.  The second rule was kill or be killed.  The third rule was always make sure one gets paid.  The four rule was honor all contracts.  And the final rule, other then the aforementioned ones, was there were no other rules.  Dante liked that one the best.  He was a pragmatic person who didn't care for too many rules.  He only cared about doing his job.  

            He walked down the moonlit streets of Brooklyn and thought about how life really was.  Was it normal to live in the shadows and darkness?  He knew he wasn't like everyone else.  The lamppost with its forlorn light shined down on his hand.  His left hand.  The gold band shined underneath it.  It was the only part of him that was real.  Nothing was real.  Not this world.  Not this existence.

*

            Harry and Hermione were summoned to head Auror's office.  They glanced at each other as they walked along.  The head of the department was none other than Percy Weasley.  Hermione hated going to his office because he reminded her of Ron.  He was always so kind to her, and he would offer to go to lunch to her, but she would always turn him down.  

            Harry knocked at the door and he heard Percy say enter.  They both walked in to find a tall, platinum blonde man waiting for them.  He stood up when they entered.  It was none other than Draco Malfoy.  His face and eyes didn't hold the same contempt that they used to when they were at Hogwarts.  

            "You both know that this is Draco Malfoy.  He just returned from deep cover in Ireland," said Percy.

            Harry hid his surprise.  "What do you mean?" asked Hermione out loud.  She hated Malfoy.  He used to make fun of Ron so much, and her defenses were up.

            "I've been working for the Aurors ever since I graduated from Hogwarts, Dr. Granger," said Draco.  He actually called her "Dr. Granger," and he sounded respectful.  This time Harry did betray the look of surprise on his face.

            "Draco was trained by Professor Snape.  We started training him during your sixth year," said Percy.  Harry remembered what happened; a group of Death Eaters was killed during that year, and Draco's father was one of them.

            "I didn't know that Snape was training anyone," said Hermione.  Draco didn't say anything.  He could have sworn that Hermione was made out of steel or titanium.  Her husband had disappeared, and she was still there as strong as ever.

            "Actually, I called you to my office because, Harry, you need a partner.  That's why I called you in," said Percy.  Harry took one look at Draco who remained expressionless.

            "No, I don't think so," said Harry.

            "What?  You don't think I'm as good as Weasley?" asked Draco.  That was a sore point.  Hermione looked like she was ready to hex him.  Percy kept his temper in check and calmly stood up.  

            "Draco happens to be one of the best agents.  Harry, you've gone through six partners in the past two years.  And I won't let you continue taking Hermione out there and into danger," said Percy.  He was serious.  

            "I am not in any danger.  I can handle myself," said Hermione as she folded her arms over her chest.

            "I'm not saying you can't, but I have to think about Tyler," said Percy.  He said it softly.  He normally didn't talk about family at work.  

            "Potter, I don't like this as much as you do, but think about it.  You're putting your best friend's wife in danger," said Draco calmly.  Hermione looked at him.  He didn't talk about Ron in the past tense, and most people talk about Ron that way.  It sounded like Draco didn't think he was dead.

            "Besides, it's an order.  You are all dismissed," said Percy as he sat back down calmly.  Harry stiffened and the three of them out of the office.  Harry didn't say anything until they were back to the outer offices.

            "You better not get in my way," warned Harry.

            "I wouldn't dream of it," said Draco.  Hermione sighed and walked away.  "Where are you going, Hermione?" asked Harry.

            "Back to the lab," said Hermione.  She hated it whenever Harry had a new partner because that meant that time was getting further and further away from Ron.

*

            Dante returned to his hotel room after wandering around for a while.  He turned on the television as an impulse.  He slowly took off his clothes and stripped down to his boxers.  The gun that was given to him for the job was placed on the nightstand with the holster.

            "Today, a college co-ed…" started the news anchor on the television.  Dante knew whom they were talking about.  He didn't care.  He stood up and walked over to the bathroom to wash his hands and face.  It was all part of his ritual, even if he didn't kill anyone after a job.  When he came back out, there were more things, "Skye Jones' body was found in her dorm room.  She had been shot three times in the chest," said the anchor.  Dante froze in his spot and the towel slipped from his hand.

            "What the fuck?" he whispered out loud as he walked over to the remote to make the television louder.  

            He heard the report as he sank down on the bed.  _Good God, what the hell happened?  I didn't kill her.  I didn't kill her,_ Dante didn't know why he cared suddenly.  He stood up and got dressed again. He had to find out what had gone wrong.

*

            Draco Malfoy glared at Harry Potter from across his desk.  He really didn't like this arrangement anymore than Potter than did.  As far as he was concerned, he was going to go insane if he had to work with the Wonder Boy.  He wondered what really happened to Weasley?  The man had everything.  He had a wife who loved him, and he was working with his best friend.  As much as Malfoy hated Ron Weasley before, he didn't hate him so much anymore.  In truth, he envied him because he had the things that Malfoy didn't have.  He had a loving family, married the woman of his dreams, and had a son as proof of how much his wife loved him.  Malfoy knew that Ron didn't know about the little boy.  He saw from his desk Hermione's office.  He had no doubts that she had pictures of her little boy along with pictures of Weasley.  

            And that was the reason why he knew that Weasley wouldn't purposely desert his wife.  Furthermore, he thought ruefully, he was one of the three people who still believed that Ron was alive.  Draco suspected that Weasley probably got so annoyed with Potter always being the noticed one on their team, but at the time of his disappearance, Ron was the only one informed about the last confrontation with the Death Eaters.  Harry wasn't told where as a ploy to trick them, but something had gone horribly wrong.  Draco didn't think that Ron was stupid enough to get himself kill, and he also thought that Ron was too stubborn to die. 

            "How were things in Ireland?" asked Harry.

            "Interesting," said Draco.

            Harry sighed.  He hated having to stare at another person from across his desk.  He remembered how Ron had pictures of Hermione on his desk.  She was only an office away.  She had a more private office because of her duties as a counselor for the other agents.

            "Can we just have a truce?  You'll be gone anyway soon enough," said Harry.

            "Fine, we'll have a truce.  But, what makes you think I'll be gone soon?" asked Draco.    

            "I have that effect on people," said Harry in an empty voice.  

*

            The streets were dark, but still alive with activity as Dante took a cab to the scene of the crime.  The girl, Skye Jones, was killed in her dorm room.  He had to find out what happened.  It was the investigator in him.  Something didn't sit right with him.  The dorms were quiet and filled with police.  He walked down the halls looking around.  The policeman stopped to accost him.  

            "Who are you?" he asked.  He was a big African American man with a badge.  He could easily take Dante in a fight, if only muscles were involved.  

            "My name is Jack Dante," replied Dante.  He learned a long time ago that making up a first name was a good idea.  And he knew that Jack was the nickname for John, and he was a John Doe, and so it made sense.  

            "What is it you want?  Are you some kind of reporter?" asked the police officer.

            "No, I'm an investigator," answered Dante.  

            "What are you investigating?" questioned the police officer with a suspicious look.

            "This murder," answered Dante as he looked beyond the police tape.  There were groups of girls crying, while the boys looked shaken up.  There came older people, who Dante assumed were parents of the students, he looked around to see if the police were questioning any older people.  They were talking to students.

            "Were the victim's parents informed yet?" asked Dante.  

            "No, the girl has no parents in the United States.  She was an exchanged students.  Are you from the same place as her?" asked the police office because he noticed Dante's accent.  

            "I'm not sure," answered Dante truthfully.

            "Are you going to ask questions or what?" asked the police officer when he stood still just watching.

            "I am a student of human nature.  It is better to watch first, one learns more that way," replied Dante.

            The police officer shot him strange look.  As far as he was concerned as long as Dante wasn't a reporter or trying to get past the police tape, he could watch all he wanted.  

*

            At the end of the day, Harry went with Hermione to the Weasleys to pick up Tyler who was very happy to see his mother.  "Mummy!  I missed you!" declared Tyler as if he hadn't seen her in years.

            "Hi, baby.  Were you good for your grandmother?" asked Hermione as she picked him up.  He was getting a little heavy, but she was going to pick him up and carry him for as long as possible. 

            "Uncle Harry!" cried Tyler as he held his arms out towards him.  Harry picked him up.  He remembered being the first person other than Hermione to hold him.  He was even her Lamaze coach because she had insisted on delivering Tyler that way, so that her mother and father could be there.  Harry was the best godfather to Tyler.  He spoiled his godson whenever he had a chance to.  He learned from the best.  Sirius was working on one of the upper levels of the Aurors.  

            "How's my favorite godson?" asked Harry as he gently ruffled the child's fiery locks.  The baby squealed slightly in delight.  

            "How was he today, Molly?" asked Hermione.

            "Fine.  He was playing with my wand when he found it in my pocket.  He made little swirls of light with it.  He really is your son.  But, I did take my wand back," said Molly with a laugh.  

            Hermione smiled.  Molly and Arthur tended to spoil Tyler even more so than their other grandchildren because he didn't have his father around.  Hermione knew how important a father was to a little boy.  Sometimes, Tyler refused to listen to her until Harry did something about it.  

            She could only imagine what kind of father Ron would have made.  Those things were left to her imagination.  

*

            Two men met again as they had done many times before.  They were men who considered themselves just below God.  They were men who played games with the lives of others.  

            "The project has gone as follows.  One of our subjects can no longer be reached.  He left the hospital he was at in England.  And left no contact address," said the first man.

            "There is no need to worry.  He will find us.  We hold the secret as to who he is," said the second man.

            "The treatment left his mind a blank.  He won't be able to find his way," said the first man.  

            "As long as he does not know what he is, he is no danger to us.  And for as long as he is in this world, his extrasensory powers will only be things out of stories.  He won't believe the existence of such power.  So, even if he were given a conductor, he wouldn't know how to use one," said the second man.  

            There was no need to worry.  They had set off a trigger for their subject to find them again, and he didn't know that he was falling into a trap.

*

            Dante watched the people at the crime scene.  And when they were finished, he walked up to the students who were awake.  "Hello, my name is Jack Dante.  I was wondering if anyone of you knew Ms. Jones?" he asked.

            "I knew her.  She was my roommate," said a pale blonde girl with brown eyes.

            "What is your name?" he asked.

            "Mary Carlisle.  I just came home and found her in her bed with those bullets," she sobbed.

            Dante made no move to comfort the girl rather another girl came to her side.  "Why are you asking questions?  You're not a police officer," said the girl with an accent that sounded that she was from Brooklyn.

            "No, I'm not.  I am an investigator.  Ms. Jones' family lives in Europe, so I've been sent in to ask some questions.  I would rather hear from all of you directly than read the police reports," answered Dante.  

            "We don't know why she was killed.  She was  very nice person, but she kept to herself," said Mary as she choked back another sob.

            Dante walked into her room.  "Do you mind if I look around?" he asked as he took out a pair of gloves that he kept in his coat pocket.  

            "No, it's not like I'll sleep in there tonight," said Mary.  The other girl led her away.  He looked around and found that there was blood on the bed.  He could smell the gunpowder in the room.  The person had shot her in close range, and judging by the fact that her roommate was the one to find her, the shooter used a silencer.  

            He looked around the room.  One could learn a lot about a person based on their possessions.  He opened a drawer.  There was something strange there.  There was a piece of parchment paper.  He read the letter.  It was from her parents telling that everything was fine at home.  And that they hoped that she would owl them back soon.  

            Owls?  That made no sense to Dante.  Who would use an owl for mailing letters?  The whole idea was ridiculous.  And yet at the window, there was an owl.  Its eyes seemed to drill into him and then it took up in flight.  There was something that was clutched in its talons.  Or perhaps, Dante was seeing things.  

AN: I am a psych major, so I thought I should put a more accurate description of what kind of memory loss Ron's suffered.  Yes, I finally did a story where Draco is one of the good guys, well sort of.  I'm kind of taking this slow and easy for now.  This is after all my first real attempt at a mystery.  And what's really up with Skye Jones?  And the two weird men?  And  I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews.  People seem very interested in this fic.  And I also have to say I'm a little annoyed with some people.  Some people say they don't like the length of my other fics, and furthermore, they tell me that they don't make sense (i.e., changes in characters).  Get real.  This is fanfiction.  Let's try to take some risks and be original just the same.  I also have to say I like to stick to the canon as much as possible, but probably not where Ron is concerned in this fic.  Besides, this is all practice until I get some real writing for myself done with my own original works.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I really don't.  


	4. Little Girl Lost

Living Memory

Chapter Four: Little Girl Lost

            Dante stood still as he watched the owl fly off, and then he shook his head.  What a strange thing.  He didn't know what to make of it.  Owls delivering letters?  He was a man of the twenty-first century.  It was the age of computers and fiber optics.  How stupid could a person be if they couldn't use the post office?  Dante read the letter written on the parchment paper in his hands:

"Dear Skye, 

We hope this letter finds you well.  You brother wrote home from school and told us how much he missed you.  It's so hard to have you go so far away for school, Dearest.  Owl us back as soon as you can.  We know that it's going to be sort of hard for you to do that.  I do wish we used the Muggle post office, but we don't.  However, the Muggle world is where you chose to belong and we've accepted it.  After all, you don't quite belong in the our world either.

Love,

Mum and Dad"

            There was a word that was foreign, yet familiar, to Dante.  Muggle.  He had heard the word before, but his head was hazy again.  Every time he tried to remember something his brain would get clouded and his head would hurt.  He read the letter again, and he put it back where he found it.  He noticed that there was a massive pool of blood in the bed.  And the police left it as undisturbed as possible when they investigated.  There was no sign of a real struggle.  Dante was a light sleeper, so he couldn't imagine anyone getting passed him and killing him at point blank range.  He also suspected that Skye Jones probably didn't wake up at all, and if she had, it was too late to do anything about it.  

            There were times when Dante detested his line of work, and this was one of them.  However, that was a mere fleeting moment for Dante.  He stood up and walked out of the room to find all the students still awake.  Of course, he didn't expect them to still be awake, but they looked like they were waiting for him.

            "I want to talk to everyone who knew anything about her," said Dante quietly.  The students looked a little frightened of him.

            "Yo, I forgot to ask you.  Do you have any ID?" asked the girl with a Brooklyn accent.

            "Yes," answered Dante as he handed her an ID with his name in it as Jonathan Daniels.  

            "I thought that your name was Jack Dante," said the girl suspiciously.  Several of the onlookers looked back and forth between the two of them.

            "To tell you the truth, I don't know what my real name is," said Dante.  Some people laughed nervously because they thought he was joking, but he kept his face neutral.  

            "You got be kidding, you dumbass!" declared the girl with a wave of her arms.  "Who are you really?"

            "Someone who wants to know why anyone would kill anyone," answered Dante.  "I am here as a representative of Ms. Jones' parents."

            "How do we know that for sure?" asked the girl.  

            "Because I'm the one who killed her," answered Dante honestly.  He had no idea what it was going to be like for the Jones when they found out about their daughter.  He didn't look forward to what would happen next.

            "It's just we're all scared.  We never thought something like this could happen here, Mr. Dante," said Mary quickly as pulled the other girl away.  "But, we don't know what happened.  It was a quiet night here.  I saw her come back before I left earlier to night, but she seemed fine.  But, I did think she was jumpy.  I asked her what was wrong, but she said she was fine.  I left it at that.  I should have made her tell me what was wrong."

            Dante nodded.  He knew why Skye Jones would be upset because he was the one who held a gun to the back of her head in the afternoon.  "Um…she wasn't in our lecture across town," said another boy.

            He nodded again to register what the boy said.  He took her out of the parking lot before that class.  Dante took it as an easy opportunity.  The thing that bothered Dante was he was called up at the last minute not to kill her, but she still ended up dead.  Dante didn't like it when his work was question.  He was a damn perfectionist.  

            "I'll be contacting her parents," said Dante softly.  He walked out of the dorms without the students stopping him and took a cab back to the hotel.  Usually, he didn't question things so much because he knew better.  However, he was interested enough to look into it further.

            When he returned to his hotel, he decided that it was best to check out of the hotel in the morning.  He used his connection in the library and hacked into the hotel's registry and to find out from where his room was reserved.  The hotel said that he was the one who reserved the room, and he found out that the number was back in Europe.  Dante suspected that the area code was false, a cell phone, or untraceable.  He wanted a cigar at that moment as he ran his fingers through his red hair.

            Dante fell onto the bed.  The hours of wandering around caught up to him as he went sleep uneasily.  His dreams drifted off to a faraway place again, but when he woke up he could remember nothing.  That was the way his life usually went anyway.  

*

            Tyler was at home with his mother waiting for her to finish giving him a bath.  It took so much energy just to give the boy a bath.  Tyler was not a fan of bath time.  He kept fighting his mother.  And cried through almost all his baths.  

            "I don't like!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.  Hermione was getting a bath with him because he was splashing around too much.  She sighed and tried her best not to yell at him.  She avoided doing that as much as possible.  "Please, baby," she pleaded with him.  Tyler was still squirming, and he shook his head in defiance.  "NO!  I DON'T LIKE!" he screamed louder.  Hermione sighed because she gave him a bath every other night.  She insisted on it. 

            The small boy pouted much like his father used to do when Hermione made Ron do something around the house that he didn't like.  "Am I clean now?" pleaded Tyler softly.  Hermione nodded and pulled him out of the water.  She gently dried him and let him sit on the king sized bed in the master bedroom.  The house they lived in was big with five rooms in it, but Ron and Hermione weren't planning on having a big family like Ron's parents.  They talked about having a few kids, but not seven.  He sat on the big bed with a storybook waiting for his mother to change and come out of the bathroom.  Hermione had to change because her clothes were soaked.  She came out of the bathroom and her little boy smiled at her.

            "Mummy!" he declared to her.  He already forgot what a pain he was just a few minutes ago to her.  Hermione picked him up and took the book from him.  "Let's read you a story and get to bed," she said.

            "I don't wanna go to sleep," said Tyler with a pout.  _Just like his father_, thought Hermione as she kissed his forehead.  "Just listen to the story," said Hermione.  Tyler nodded and she read him the story.  She knew that he'd fall asleep halfway through anyway.  

            When she noticed he was asleep, she finished the story anyway.  She held him in her arms.  Tyler was smart and precocious like her, but he had his father's rebellious streak.  Hermione predicted that Tyler was going to wreck some havoc at Hogwarts when he got there.  He was so small, and he had no idea what a great man his father was.  Hermione held onto her son and her hopes.  

            At around midnight there came a call to Hermione when she was sleeping alone in her bed.  There was a fireplace in the bedroom that was like a telephone in her room.  She found Percy Weasley.  "I'm sorry to call on you so late into the night Hermione, but we have a situation," he said in a grave voice.  Hermione wore pajamas in bed, so she wasn't so worried about being seen by him.  

            "What?" asked Hermione as she stifled a yawn. 

            "There's been a murder in America," said Percy.  Hermione blinked in surprise.  "It's in American, Percy.  Give me a reason to care before I go back to sleep," she said.

            "The person who was murdered was a squib.  The daughter of Charles and Anya Jones," said Percy.  Hermione felt her blood go cold.  Charles Jones was slated to become the next Minister of Magic, and he was right up against Arthur Weasley.

            "Their daughter was a squib?" asked Hermione with a heavy breath.  Squibs were people born to wizards and witches who didn't have any magic in them.  They were usually seen as lowly people, but they weren't completely excluded from wizarding society.  It was the opposite of being Muggle born.   

            "She was attending a university in New York City, and she was found shot in the chest," said Percy.

            "Shot?  With a gun?" asked Hermione, and Percy nodded.  "But, that's a Muggle weapon.  A Muggle would kill a person that way, if it was a witch or wizard, then it would have been done with a wand."  Hermione had a sinking feeling in her.  Someone out there killed the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the wizarding world.  

            "This could be disastrous for us.  Jones wants the Aurors to handle this.  We have to find out why Skye Jones was killed," said Percy.

            "Are the reports from the Americans coming in?" asked Hermione.

            "The Americans said that the Muggle police investigated and it's on the Muggle newspapers over there.  They don't know anything about her being the daughter of wizards," said Percy sadly.  

            "I'll be there early in the morning.  I'll call your mother to take Tyler tomorrow," said Hermione.

            "No, I'll call my mum for you.  Get some sleep," he said gently.  After that the fire swirled again and returned to normal.  Hermione stayed wide-awake in bed because she couldn't go back to sleep.  

            The wheels and gears in her head were moving.  She was trying to figure out why anyone would kill another person.  It was a hard thing for her to understand that was why Hermione's field was forensics, so she could understand human nature better.  Hermione had no idea that her work would be needed to understand the Jack-of-All-Trades only known as Dante.

*

            Dante woke up the next morning after what seemed like a dreamless sleep.  He took a long shower and checked out of the hotel.  He usually stayed at a hotel until he got another job, but he had to take care of what happened.  He learned from the police later that day that the British Consulate was getting involved in the death of the girl, but her parents were still unreachable.  

            He wondered why her parents were so hard to reach, but then again if the people were using owls…well, they'd never get the message that their daughter was dead.  He couldn't understand.  Telling someone their loved one was dead was as simple as making a phone call.  Dante found out very little about Skye Jones other than the information he was sent.  Her parents' jobs were vague: business owner and consultant.  The information didn't say what kind of business or what kind of consulting.  He knew that the girl had a younger brother who was away for school, but if they were English, then it was no surprise.  Dante was still wondering why the word "Muggle" sounded familiar to him.  

            The newspapers had some small articles about the death of Skye Jones, but nothing major.  Nothing that Dante hadn't learned from the night before and that morning.  It was already becoming an international incident between the United States and the United Kingdom.  Dante didn't care for politics, so he didn't bother to read the rest of the articles. 

            Dante needed to find out who did the actual hit and that required that he had to stay in New York longer than he had planned.  It was time to tap some of his resources in the city.  

            Another hour passed before he found one of his contacts in the city her name was Lenore Henson.  She was blonde, tall, blue eyed, and a bombshell to boot.  She was a woman of leisure who was taken care of by one of her boyfriends.  Dante didn't know why, but he found himself strangely drawn to her, but he still wouldn't do anything serious with her.  It was the band of gold on his finger.  For some strange reason, the damn thing had some power over him.  

            He arrived at her penthouse at around noon and knocked on the door, hoping that whomever was paying for her penthouse wasn't there.  He buzzed her from downstairs.  "Who is it?" said a soft, sultry voice.

            "It's me," said Dante.  There was a pause, and she said, "Come on up."  The door buzzed and let him into the penthouse.  When he got inside, the door was unlocked.  "Lenore, it's not a—" he said just as a pair of luscious lips pressed up against his.  

            Dante's hands ran down her back.  He could feel her curves and her breast were pressed up against his chest.  Against his thin shirt, he felt her nipples harden against him.  A low moan emitted from his lips, but was silenced by her lips being pressed up against his.  He found that she was wearing a silk negligee.  Their tongues wrestled against each other, but he soon snapped to his senses and pulled away from her.  "What were you saying, Dante?" she asked in a husky voice.

            "I was saying that it wasn't a good idea for you to leave your door unlock," he whispered back to her in a low voice.  

            "I knew it was you.  What brings you to my door?" she asked.  

            "I need some information," answered Dante.

            "Information?  That depends if you're here to give me what I need," said Lenore.  Dante kept his eyes on her face.  She smiled at him, and said, "Always the gentleman, Dante.  That's what I like about you.  You don't even try.    That's why I always make my offer to you."  

            Despite himself, Dante smiled at the very beautiful woman.  She looked like one of those movie starlets from the forties and fifties.  "It's always a pleasure to see you, Lenore.  But we both know that you offer to many, and your offers are too often to make me feel special," said Dante evenly.

            Lenore pouted at him.  "You really know how to make a girl feel special," she said.  She beckoned him to follow her further into the penthouse.  It was fifty floors up with a breath taking view of New York City.  Dante took a seat on the long, black sofa while Lenore busied herself at the bar making drinks for both of them.  She came back to the sofa and took the seat next to him.  She handed him the glass.  "Dry scotch.  Just the way you like it," said Lenore.

            "What are you having?" asked Dante before taking a sip of his drink.

            "A gin and tonic," answered Lenore.  She drank different kinds of drinks depending on what kind of man was in her company.  She could tell a lot about a man based on what he drank.  Dante was as straightforward and could burn the back of her throat like the scotch he was consuming.  Lenore liked him because of his manners and English accent.  He wasn't like most of the men she slept with.  He was cold and harsh, but there was an underlying tenderness in him.  And yes, if he wanted her, she would let him in a second.  The man had to be magnificent in bed.  She could just tell because he had the feel of power and absolute magnetism.

            "The girl that died in the university," said Dante.

            "Oh, that was so sad.  I wanted to go to college before.  That poor girl," whispered Lenore.

            "I was contracted to kill her," said Dante.  Lenore froze in her spot because she was in shock.  Dante was a consummate professional.  He would never talk about any of his jobs out loud like that.

            "Did you kill her?" asked Lenore.  No matter how cold he was, she could never really think of Dante that way.

            "No, I was called up at the last minute to stop.  I left her at the parking lot.  And the other students at her dorm will tell you that she came back there alive," answered Dante.

            "What is it that you need to know, Dante?" asked Lenore.  She stood up and walked outside to the balcony.  Dante swallowed the last of his scotch and stood up to follow her.  "I need you to tell me if you knew anything about that hit," he whispered.

            Lenore turned away from him.  She hated this life of hers, but she was too weak to even kill herself.  She preferred to do it slowly by alcohol and the occasional hit of heroin.  She didn't like to stick her arms with needles because part of her illusion to men was that she was perfect.  Her skin had to look like that.  Instead, she control herself with small doses every once in awhile.  She hated the fact that she needed a man to survive, but that was all she knew.  "I don't know anything, Dante.  You know if I did, I'd tell you.  I'd tell you, and let you be happy," answered Lenore.  

            She knew that he was different from other men, but he still came to her only when he needed something.  Her eyes filled with tears as Dante cupped her chin.  His intensely blue eyes stared at her.  "I wish I could forget this life," she whispered to him.

            "Believe me, you don't want that.  Having any kind of life is better than not remembering having one at all," whispered Dante.  

            "But you didn't forget everything did you, Dante," she whispered to him as he pulled her closer to him.

            "No, I didn't," he said as he placed his hands on her hips.  She placed her right hand over his left hand and felt for the chain that kept him from her.  

            "You don't even remember her.  Why?" she whispered as tears came down.  He lifted his right hand to wiped one of the tears away.  

            "I don't know, "he whispered.  "It's proof that I was alive once."

            "I've never been alive.  Can't you just forget just once?  Just once?" she pleaded with him.  His lips covered hers again.  There was no denying the attraction between them, but that was what he felt.  There was nothing more than that.  He pulled his lips away from hers again.  

            "It would be living a lie.  I may have almost nothing.  But, this is all I've got," he said as he showed her the ring on his finger.

            "I've been living a lie my whole life.  You're the only thing that's real to me," said Lenore.  Dante pressed his lips against her forehead with a breeze whipping around them on the balcony.  

            "I'm not real, Lenore.  I don't even know who I am.  I have to go," he said as he released her.  He let himself out of her penthouse.  She stood on the balcony until he was gone.  When she heard the soft click of the door she walked back into her living room.  

            She noticed that he locked the door when he left.  "Dante.  Always the gentleman," she whispered.

AN: Kind of short, but it's the right length for me.  Like I said, slow and easy for this fic.  ^_^  And Lenore Henson was a very interesting character to throw into the mix.  I mean if you can't remember anything really, who's to say you're going to stick to your marriage vows one hundred percent.  And the interesting revelation about Skye Jones.  Don't worry.  There's more violence to come.  I mean it's supposed to be rated R for the language, sexual content, and violence.  I would like to thank all the people who reviewed this fic, so far.  So many of you say it's a good mystery, but you've haven't seen anything yet.  I'm trying to be more daring with my writing.    And thank you to the people who made constructive comments and for the support.  ^_^  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; he and his friends belong to J.K. Rowling.  I own this story.  I can't say I really own Dante.  ^_~


	5. Investigation Begins

Living Memory

Chapter Five: Investigation Begins

            Percy Weasley wasn't looking forward to his meeting with the Charles Jones.  The man was known for being one very intimidating, and he was coming personally to the Aurors to see what they were doing about his daughter's murder.  Charles Jones wasn't going to give anyone a break until they came up with answers as to what really happened to his daughter.

            On Percy's desk sat a stack of various reports coming from New York City.  He had copies of the police reports and witness accounts, but it was difficult to do any case long distance.  Truth be told, Percy got his position as head of the Aurors because he was known for being a paper pusher.  He wasn't really a field man.  He was during the time of the attacks of Voldemort, but Cornelius Fudge elected him to his position despite his age.  Percy had no idea what he had gotten himself into.  He also wanted the position so that he would have a better chance of staying on top of the case of his missing brother, Ron. 

            However, two years led to nothing.  Percy felt like he had let his family down because he failed to locate his brother.  He hated seeing Hermione so alone.  He didn't like to spend time at family gatherings, so he buried himself in his work.  Percy felt guilty about not being there, but he felt even guiltier of his failings.  He couldn't stand to spend time at the family gatherings, not because of Hermione, but because of Tyler.  Tyler reminded Percy too much of Ron when he was younger.

            There was no time to think of such things.  It was now time to meet with Charles Jones because there came a knock at his office door.  "Enter," said Percy.

            Charles Jones walked in.  Percy stood up and found that the man had to be almost seven feet tall.  His skin was dark mocha and he had moustache that clipped.  His manner and style reminded Percy strongly of his old supervisor, Bartimus Crouch, so his discomfort increased.  Jones' eyes were almost black and unreadable as he looked over Percy.  Next to him stood a thin woman with dark hair and lighter mocha skin, she was more than a head shorter than her husband.  

            "Mr. and Mrs. Jones.  My apologies for having you here on such a sad occasion," said Percy as he dared to look into Mr. Jones' eyes.  "Please sit down," he said as he cleared his throat.

            "Are you a parent, Mr. Weasley?" asked Mr. Jones.  Percy shook his head.  He and Penelope decided to put off having children for the time being.  "Then you couldn't possibly begin to comprehend what my family is going through right now."

            "No, I suppose I can't really.  However, I know what it's like to lose a member of my family," said Percy coolly.  He didn't mean to do that, but he wanted show that he could understand.  He didn't know if Mr. Jones was acting like that because of what happened to his daughter or the fact that Percy's father was Mr. Jones' rival.  

            "Please.  Tell us, if you know anything," pleaded Mrs. Jones.  Her accent held a twang of a South African in it, while her husband had some Hindu in his voice.  Her eyes were light green amber, as she looked straight into Percy's.

            "The reports from New York City reveal very little.  The Americans did their investigation, but have no suspects.  Your daughter will be returned back to England in two days, and we've already made arrangements to pick her up," said Percy.  He was tactful enough to not use the word "body."

            "You mean the Muggle investigators?" questioned Mr. Jones with a blaze in his eyes.  

            "Yes," answered Percy.  "The Bureau of Magical Arts didn't have a chance to get to the scene first."

            "I should have known better to let her go off to live among the Muggles," said Mr. Jones, unable to hide his resentment in his voice.  His wife consoled him by rubbing his shoulder.  "Now…" he trailed off.

            Percy looked away because he knew that Mr. Jones was the type of man who didn't cry in front of other men.  "We have the best Aurors investigating this case.  We have Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.  They've been taken off other cases, and your daughter's murder has been made top priority.  Dr. Hermione Granger will be aiding the investigation.  She's the best forensics psychologist we have," said Percy without looking directly at the couple in front of his desk.  

            "Yes, I have heard of Dr. Granger's reputation.  Thank you for offering such resources," said Mr. Jones with a sigh.  He looked like he had aged over night along with his wife.  That's what Percy thought.  He remembered how his parents looked when no one could find Ron.  

            "I promise to do everything in my power to find out who killed your daughter," said Percy solemnly.  Mr. Jones and Mrs. Jones nodded after.  He went on to explain what they would do next.  And after that they both left with heavy, broken hearts.  Percy knew that they would never recover from the loss of their daughter.  He noticed that Mrs. Jones' eyes saw the picture of Ron with the rest of Percy's siblings on the desk.  

            _I may have failed my brother, but I won't fail this time_, thought Percy.  This case was his chance for some redemption.

            Just outside Percy's office, Draco Malfoy looked at the grim pictures that the Muggle police had sent over to the Aurors' office.  He never liked Muggle photographs.  They were just disturbing.  That fact that they didn't move around seemed to freeze the moment.  He stared at the picture just long enough before he had to put it back into the file.

            He had seen so many things as a deep covert agent he saw many things.  And some of the things he saw, he didn't wish for anyone else to see.  When his father died while he was still in Hogwarts, his mother pleaded with him not to get himself killed like Lucius did.  Draco had no way out until Professor Snape offered him a way out.  Draco didn't really like his father, but that didn't mean he didn't love him.  He wasn't about to let Voldemort and his supporters cause anymore pain in the world.  Draco was trained during the nights at Hogwarts.  He learned how to build up resistance to most noxious brews and how to disarm people with powerful attacks.  

            Draco was no longer someone who hated Muggle borns or Muggles.  He learned to have tolerance, and more importantly understanding.  On several occasions, Draco had to live among the Muggles to do some of the toughest cases the Aurors could throw at him.  He had seen what the Death Eaters really did.  He had seen scenes of human disembowelment and skinning.  The worst seen he had ever investigated was when a four-year-old Muggle child was sacrificed by a band of Death Eaters.  Draco had no choice but to use memory charms on everyone who had known the child and wipe her clean from their memories, including her parents.  However, Draco kept his memory of the little girl.  He listened to everything the people and her parents had to say about her, and kept her memory alive to himself.  He was the only one other than a minister who came to see her laid to rest in a cemetery in Yorkshire.

            Harry came to his desk across from Draco's and took a look at the folder where Draco put the pictures of the crime scene.  He gave a ragged sigh.  "I wonder if she felt anything," said Harry out loud, snapping Draco out of his thoughts.  

            "I doubt she even had a chance to wake up.  There was not a sign of struggle," said Draco.

            "How could anyone just let someone kill them like that?  The pictures say that the gun was shot at point blank range with the nozzle pressed up directly to her chest, judging by the entry wounds," said Harry methodically.

            "Shut up, Potter," snapped Draco.  He narrowed his gray eyes at Harry.

            "What's your problem?  I've seen things like this before.  Sure, it's not clean like using the Killing Curse, but bullets leave marks," said Harry.  Draco couldn't believe that of all people, Harry could talk so causal like that.  

Lucius Malfoy didn't die by Avada Kedavra.  No, he was killed when the Death Eaters almost got caught by a group of Aurors.  He was sacrificed so that the Dark Lord could get away like a coward.  Draco celebrated when Voldemort was killed.  

          "You haven't seen anything, Potter," said Draco coldly.  They both glared at each other until someone cleared her throat.  They both looked up from their glare at Hermione.

          "I see you to are having a good morning.  Are those the pictures from the authorities in New York?" asked Hermione as she eyed the folder in Harry's hands.  Harry nodded and handed the folder to her.  "I knew that she was young, but she looks younger than she really was," murmured Hermione as she gazed at the picture.  She traced her finger along the face in the picture.  "She doesn't even look dead, if you can ignore the gunshot wounds," she added sadly.

          Draco and Harry said nothing.  If either thought the other was strange, they both mentally agreed that Hermione was stranger.  "What do you see Hermione?" asked Harry softly.

          Hermione's talents as a forensic psychologist were rare.  She was almost like a seer, but it was based on observations.  "The killer was a hired one, but I can't be sure without going to the scene myself.  The killer was someone who could easily get passed all the people in the dorm, but that's not a surprise.  She didn't put much of struggle, even though she knew she was going to die," whispered Hermione without her eyes leaving the picture.

          "We should go to New York," said Harry.

          "Already taken care of, Potter.  I got clearance this morning from Weasley," said Draco, but he quickly corrected himself, "I mean, the Chief."

          "Well, what are we waiting for?  We've got some work to do, and I'd like to be back to pick up my son from his grandmother's on time," said Hermione as she clapped her hands slightly.  The two men stood up and went with Hermione to one of the port keys to go to the New York Department of Magic.

*

          Dante came back from Lenore's apartment a little hot and bothered.  He had no idea why she had that effect on him, but she always did.  Perhaps, it was the tragic element in her lifestyle that appealed to him.  He was no closer to finding out who killed Skye Jones than he was the night before.

            He decided it was time to go to the police department and look at the reports.  When he got there, he got passed the officer in charge by showing her his new false identification.  He looked at the police report carefully and made mental notes of various things.

            The police report stated that Skye Jones hadn't struggled and that she was killed instantly from the first bullet, but why did the killer use more than one bullet?  The room had no fingerprints or any other markings to show who did it.  His instincts told him that the person who did it had to be a professional.  Dante knew the markings of one because he was one himself.

            He left the police station after asking when Mr. and Mrs. Jones would be coming for their daughter, and he found it interesting that they wouldn't be coming to America.  In fact, they chose to not do much else.  Her body was being returned to England.  Her things were to be picked up by her roommate and shipped back to England as well.  Everything was very interesting to Dante.  

            It was time to find out who in New York City killed Skye Jones.  He wasn't sure if it was for his piece of mind or just morbid curiosity.  Dante figured that the people who hired him were the ones responsible for killing her still, but he just wanted to know who did the deed.  Dante called his Swiss Bank account to check if the rest of his payment was deposited and found that it was.  He was making more than six figures a year for the work he did.

            Dante still had the gun in his possession.  He usually got rid of his weapons right after the job was done, but since there was no job, he didn't have to get rid of it.  Besides, it was a free weapon, and it also brought comfort to him.  The murder of Skye Jones had put him in an unshakeable uneasiness.  

            There was so much strange information he was looking through.  Never mind the murder itself, but what kind of people did Skye Jones come from?  What world were her parents referring to?  Why did this whole thing bothered Dante so much with its familiarity?  Dante thought he had seen many things in his line of work, but he found out that the world might not be all that he assumed it to be.  

            Once again, he cursed his amnesia.  There were too many holes in his head to properly process most situations he had gotten himself into.  Lenore.  Skye Jones.  That was why he became a Jack-of-All-Trades.  He was given orders to do something, but he could do it anyway he wanted to.  Dante made sure that he was carrying enough bullets, but dropped by a store and purchased more bullets anyway.  The area of the city he went to go get the bullets was down many winding streets among the concrete that prevented the sun's rays from reaching the streets.  He got out of the store that was close to an alleyway, next to a bookstore about the occult.  

            Then, he saw something strange.  A man and woman walked straight into the wall of the alleyway and disappeared into it.  Dante blinked and wondered whether his eyes were playing tricks on him or perhaps the lack of sunlight was to blame.  He shook his head and put on his sunglasses and pocketed the bullets into his black leather coat.  

            It was best to wear the sunglasses, so he wouldn't be able to see the world for what it was.

*

            The dorm at the university where Skye Jones was murdered was not surprisingly quiet.  The residents were rather surprise to find that three members from the British Embassy came to investigate the murder of Skye Jones.  One of them had jet-black hair with green eyes, another had platinum blonde hair with gray eyes, and the last one, a female, had long brown, curly hair. 

            Even though, Draco was more comfortable with Muggles than he used to be, he still didn't want to say anything out of place, so let Hermione and Harry do the questioning while he looked around the girl's room.  He found the letters from her parents, which he took.  The girl's roommate said that she would be packing up her stuff, so Draco said that he would personal hand the letters back to Skye's parents.  

            "Were there any suspicious people around here?" asked Hermione to a girl with a Brooklyn accent.  Her name was Anna Cantoni.

            "You want suspicious?  I'll tell you suspicious there were another British guy who came the night that Skye was killed.  He was strange," said Anna.

            "Who was he?" asked Harry.

            "He said his name was Jonathan Daniels, but he introduced himself as Jack Dante.  He said that he was sent by Skye's family to figure out what happened.  I thought it was whack because it just happened.  The police were barely finishing up," said Anna.

            Hermione looked at Harry.  She looked like she was in deep thought and asked, "What did he look like?"

            "He was tall.  And buff.  Well, not buff-buff.  But, I'm pretty sure he was ripped underneath that black coat of his.  He was really thin in built, but it was compact muscle.  He had blue eyes and red hair," answered Anna.  Hermione's eyes widened slightly as Harry took over because he knew what she was thinking about.

            "So, he lied when he introduced himself," stated Harry.  "Did he say anything really?"

            "Yeah, he said that he wasn't really sure what his name was.  I thought that was bull shit," said Anna.

            "What was his manner?  How did he act like?" asked Hermione, recovering from what Anna had said earlier.  She really should stop thinking that every red headed stranger was her missing husband.  She felt foolish for letting it happen again. 

            "He acted really cool.  He was quiet like a real private eye or something like that from those old movies.  I'm a film major.  If there were a real Sam Spade, he would be pretty close.  He just kept looking around, and he even went into her room to look around," said Anna thoughtfully.

            Draco came back with the letters in an envelope.  "There's nothing that the police found strange in any of her possessions.  There's nothing more here.  We better go talk to the police," he said.

            "Thank you for your time.  We might call you back later on," said Hermione.

            "Yeah, sure.  I'll help you anyway you can.  Just find the bastard who killed her," said Anna as she nodded.  The three investigators walked out of the dorms.  Harry noticed that Hermione was only half listening to what Harry and Draco were talking about.

            "Are you all right, Hermione?" asked Harry.

            "I'm fine.  Harry, I think that the person, who came to investigate before and right after the police, might know who killed her and why," said Hermione.

            "It does sound strange.  This whole case is strange," said Draco.

            "It is.  That Dante or Daniels.  Whatever his name is.  He's cold and methodical.  He may have been the killer," said Hermione softly.

            "But, it's pretty strange that he came back to investigate the murder, Hermione," said Harry.

            "I know.  That's why nothing feels right about this whole thing.  It might be bigger than we think.  We have to know why she was killed, not just who," said Hermione.  Hermione had a near perfect track record in solving cases.  The only case she could never solve was the disappearance of her husband.  

            "And it's a politician's daughter that got murdered.  It's never good when politics gets involved.  Jones is now beating Weasley in the popularity polls for Minister of Magic, according to the _Daily Prophet_.  Last week, it was Weasley.  But, with the news of Jones' daughter's murder, he got some public sympathy votes," said Draco with a disgusted tone in his voice.  He was disgusted by the fact that Jones might become Ministry just because people felt sorry for him that his daughter was murdered.

            "We have to find out.  Let's leave the politics out of it and leave it to the politicians," said Harry quietly.  He knew that Arthur Weasley also got unwanted sympathy votes because of Ron.  He didn't want to think about things like that because they would just get in the way of solving the case.  People would forget those who were murdered and pay attention to the lives around them.  That was just wrong to Harry.

            "Look there's a cab," said Hermione.  She flagged it down.  Draco eyed it was apprehension because he didn't many good experiences with cabs.  They went to the New York City Police Department.

*

            Dante walked along the dark side of New York because he knew that was the best place to find out more information.  He wondered what Skye Jones really did and where she really came from.  How could she not really belong to the same world her parents belonged to?  

            As he walked with these thoughts spinning in his mind, he suddenly stopped cold.  He turned around with a quick draw of his gun and found that someone pointed a barrel of a gun straight at him.  Dante's face remained calm and composed.  "You…" he whispered.

            "You should know when to leave well enough alone, Dante…"

AN: An evil cliffhanger for you.  MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!  Okay, I'm fine.  Sorry about that.  Look forward to weekly updates of this story, but I've also got finals coming up and I'll have to go home and be with my lovingly dysfunctional family.  @_@  Yes, Draco is out of character, but in the books he's young, so there's hope that he'll still change.  Right?  And the entrance to New York's magical enclave can only been seen by those who are wizards and witches, so that's how Dante can see it.  By the way, my new website has been launched.  You can check out the little Harry Potter sprites (graphics) I made.  The site is still under construction, but that doesn't mean you can't adopt the sprites.  Go to the "omake" section of httP://dreamwater.net/dreamforest.  They're pretty cute.  I made four: Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco.  And two more from one of my favorite anime, Full Metal Panic.  I plan on making a Harry Potter section.  Catch ya later.  ~_~

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I don't own anything, but this story and the original characters of this story.  Use this fic with my permission.  ^_~


	6. Eden Martin

Living Memory

Chapter Six: Eden Martin

            Dante whirled around quickly with his .35 caliber automatic pointed straight at the face of the person whose warning pierced his sensitive ears.  The person also had his gun drawn at him with a smirk proudly displayed upon his face.  "What the Hell are you doing this for, Brian?" asked Dante through his teeth.  The night air was chilling him as they stood there pointing their guns at each other.

            "I warned to you to know when to leave well enough alone, Dante," repeated Brian, his brown eyes never wavering from Dante's.

            "What are you talking about?  What I do is my business," said Dante as his temper began to rise.  He was never sure if it his temper was a natural thing, or if it was something that was part of the amnesia.  The doctors warned him that he would experience such feelings of anger and resentment towards the world.  

            "You were already taken off.  Man, you know the rules of the trade," said Brian.

            "Yes.  Why?" asked Dante.  He knew the moment he saw Brian that night that he was the one who was ordered to kill Skye Jones in his stead, but it bothered Dante nonetheless.

            "I do as I am told.  I thought you knew that.  Don't go poking around into things you can't possibly comprehend or remember," warned Brian as he lowered his gun.  

            "What do you know about me?" asked Dante, catching that part about not remembering.

            "You're fucked up in the head.  That's all I need to know.  And I'm only going to warn you once out of professional courtesy," said Brian.

            "Fine.  I'll do the same.  Don't get in my way, Brian.  Or so help me, I'll blow your fucking brains out, and you'll be more fucked up in the head than I am," warned Dante as he turned and left.  Brian had a satisfied smile on his face as he dialed his cell phone to make a call.  "Hello?  Brian Hunt.  Yes.  He's on the move.  Yes.  Of course," said Brian as he hung up.  The games were just beginning.  Brian had no idea what Dante really was, but he was only doing as he was ordered to.  

*

            Hermione was back in her office in the Aurors, trying to make out a profile of the murderer.  This was what she had written with her quill so far:  "Suspect is male.  A professional killer based on the cleanliness of the crime.  Most likely native to New York City."  The last part of her report so far bothered her the most.  The man named Dante was labeled as an Englishman.  A red headed, tall, and blue eyed Englishman.  He sounded too much like Ron for Hermione not to keep thinking about it.  She started to tap her quill on a piece of blotting paper.  She always did so when she was nervous or impatient.  She looked at the picture that was taken the day she and Ron married.  The other pictures on her desk were of Tyler, the center of her world.  Hermione was raising him all alone.  She always second-guessed herself out of habit, thinking what would Ron say about various situations.  The last thing Hermione wanted to be with Tyler was too strict.  

            _What happened to him?  I want anything at this point.  A body.  Just something.  Anything.  Any proof of something.  Just give me something,_ thought Hermione.  Her wedding band and engagement ring caught the light on her desk.  Before, she didn't wear her engagement ring often, but after Ron disappeared, she took to wearing it everyday as if to prove to the world that she was still married and expecting her husband's return.  There came a soft knock at the door.  "Enter," she said in a whisper as she looked up.  Harry let himself into her office and shut the door behind him.

            "I was wondering if you were all right, Herm.  I was worried about you ever since that interview with that girl back in New York," said Harry.  "I didn't want to mention it in front of Draco.  He would have probably said something stupid," he added.

            "I'm fine.  Really, Harry.  I'm fine," said Hermione softly.  Her hands were clutched into fists on top of her desk, and her knuckles were white.  Harry sat down at that moment.

            "Maybe, you shouldn't be on this case," said Harry helpfully.

            "No, Mr. and Mrs. Jones wanted my expertise on this case, and I'll do it," insisted Hermione.  "You know Harry…people keep telling me to move on with my life, but I can't do that completely."

            "Neither could I.  God, I wish I never agreed to Ron's plan about splitting up that night to throw off those Death Eaters," said Harry as he rubbed his temple.  He was careful not to avoid using the word "stupid" in front of Hermione in regards to Ron.  And the plan wasn't stupid.  It worked, except for the fact that Ron had disappeared.  

            "Harry.  I don't know about this Dante.  I don't even want to think if he's Ron or not, but I think he maybe the key to this entire thing," said Hermione.  "If we could find him, then we might have some answers about the murder."

            There came another knock at the door when she was done talking.  "Enter," said Hermione, and Draco came inside and closed the door.

            "I thought I'd find both of you here," said Draco.  "I've handed in the report from New York to Mr. Weasley.  He's confirmed that the Jones didn't hire anyone to find out more about what happened.  So, whoever this Dante is, he's not with the Aurors.  And the Americans already confirmed that he wasn't with them."

            "So, he's our number one suspect," said Harry with a sigh.  He found that more often than not they were lucky to find a name, but they were even luckier to find a person.

            "I would agree with you, but based on what the witnesses said about Dante, he didn't do it.  He sounds too much like a professional, but then again we can't have anyone outside either agency interfering with our case.  And besides, he may have some information we need," said Hermione.

            "How are we supposed to find someone who is obviously traveling under an alias in the Muggle world like that?" asked Draco.  He was used to hunting wizard criminals, not Muggle ones.

            "Remember what Anna said?  He said his name was Dante, but then his identification said that he was Jonathan Daniels.  Chances are he was registered somewhere in one of the hotels or motels in the area.  And also judging by his way of dress, he was probably staying at an expensive hotel," said Hermione.

            "I guess it's time to use a telephone," said Harry with a smile.

            "I'll leave that to you two.  I was thinking of going back to New York and talking to the Muggle authorities that handled the case first again.  Perhaps, we should talk to the police who first arrived there.  We only talked to the head of the department, and she wasn't there, so it would be best to talk to the people who were," said Draco.  

            "That sounds like a good idea because the police captain didn't mention any Dante.  Perhaps, one of the officers spoke to him.  Do you think you can do it on your own?" asked Hermione.  She knew that Draco was comfortable around Muggles as long as he didn't have much direct contact with them, but questioning them would require more contact than he was used to.

            "I'll prepare my questions before I go.  I should be fine," said Draco with a shrug.  He had no reason to fear Muggles.  And besides, he could just use a memory charm if he gave away too much information about himself.  

            "I'll get a list of the hotels in New York City and come back with a list," said Harry as he stood up.

            "I'll go over the other reports that were filed about this case along with what the newspapers have to say more closely," said Hermione with a nod.  The two men, different as night and day, left the room.

            Harry didn't want to admit it, but Draco was a very efficient person.  And he had more brains than he gave him credit for.  Draco thought that Hermione and Harry worked well together, and he couldn't understand why the two of them just didn't come partners in the Aurors.  Why did Harry go through so many partners, while Hermione worked alone for the most part?

            "Potter, are you and Granger friends?" asked Draco suddenly.

            "Of course, she's one of my best friends," answered Harry with surprise.

            "I suppose so, but I was wondering why you both aren't partners," said Draco.  Harry stopped in his tracks for a moment, but resumed walking without turning around or giving Draco an answer.  Draco allowed himself a slight smirk as he set off to do his work.

*

            Two men in lab coats sat down at a table where more men and women in suits greeted them with solemn composures.  One of the people at the head of the table was Charles Jones.  "What has happened with Project Lazarus?" asked one of the women of the group to the men in the lab coats.

            "Everything has gone as planned.  There are some problems.  Two of the subjects are unaccounted for.  Ronald Weasley and Samantha Adams.  They have disappeared from surveillance," reported one of the men in the lab coat.

            "Mr. Weasley has been located in New York City.  He's under an alias: Dante," said one of the men.  Charles Jones' focused his eyes on that man.  The people around the table knew about his daughter's murder.  He still had to work on Project Lazarus, but the funeral was coming up the day after next.  He had an awful night coming to the airport himself with his wife to identify their daughter's body.  Charles' stoic appearance hid the pain he was in.  Skye looked so pale, but she looked like she asleep.  Like a sleeping angel.  "What about Samantha Adams?" he asked out loud as he narrowed his eyes at the man who mentioned Ronald Weasley's whereabouts.

            "Unknown at this time.  We will find her soon," promised the man as he smiled.  He was blond with short hair and a goatee.  His eyes were icy blue, and he was a Muggle.  Charles could tell that he was a dangerous man, Muggle or not.  

            "What about the others?" asked another.

            "They are all slowly adapting to the world.  Their powers are slowly activating, but as predicted without wands to conduct their extrasensory powers, they can only do so much.  However, they do have indications of super human abilities," said the man in the white lab coat who spoke earlier.

            "Dr. Drake, you know what is at stake here.  We need to find the last two subjects.  This Ronald Weasley showed much promise.  You were the one who recommended him for the project, Mr. Jones," said Mr. Curtis.  The man with the blond hair and the goatee.

            "Yes, I did.  I thought that he would be best for this project because of his skills as an Auror, but I didn't realize how intractable he would be," admitted Mr. Jones.  

            "We did not think that Samantha Adams would be any problem as well, but with any experiment there are always unknown variables that scientists do not account for because they are simply too unpredictable," said Dr. Drake with a dismissive shrug.  

            "This concludes this meeting.  We will meet again when the time is right," said the woman at the head of the table who Charles knew was a witch.  

            The group separated with the witches and wizards leaving together and the Muggles living together.  However, Charles turned on his heel and walked up to Mr. Curtis.  "I would like to have a word with you, Mr. Curtis," said Charles.  He said it not as a request, but rather as an order.

            "Very well.  What is it you wanted to discuss Charles?" asked Mr. Curtis as he dropped his formal tone.     

            "What did you do to get him out in the open, Alexander?" asked Charles.  Earlier that afternoon, Percy owled him with the report about a man named Dante who posed as an investigator.  

            "I hired him.  Do you know about 'Jacks-of-All-Trades'?" asked Mr. Curtis.

            "No."

            "They are a special breed of men and women out in my world.  They are a group of people who will do a job for a price.  Any job.  However, it's not as simple as it sounds.  I hired him to flush him out into the open after hearing rumors of a man who defied normal human abilities.  And it was easy because of the description of him.  Tall with red hair and blue eyes."

            "Humor me.  What kind of work do these people really do?  Narrow it down for me."

            "The kind of work that would make any human being, wizard or Muggle, cringe.  The kind of work that requires no morals, but skill alone."

            "Has he become an assassin?"

            "Sometimes."

            Charles felt his blood go cold at this moment.  "My daughter.  Did you kill her?"  he demanded in a hoarse voice.  

            "No.  You did.  You're a member of the Continuum.  You know what kind of sacrifices have to be made," said Mr. Curtis simply as he walked away.  Charles clutched his hand around his wand and pointed it at Mr. Curtis.  "You would not kill me, Charles.  You know I am right.  Go ahead and kill me then.  If you do, then you'll be the one who will have to face the rest of the Continuum and throw away everything everyone has worked for," whispered Mr. Curtis without turning around.  He smiled when he knew that Charles wouldn't kill him.

            Charles clutched his jaw as he lowered his arm with his wand.  He sat back down on one of the chairs inside the boardroom.  He let his wand slip out of his hand.  He wasn't the one who pulled the trigger that killed his daughter, but he was responsible for her death nonetheless.

            "God help him," muttered Charles as his thoughts went to Dante.  "God forgive me for what I have done," he prayed.

*

            A young woman with short brown hair with wide curls and brown eyes sat by herself at a jazz club in New York City.  She came there after leaving a group home in Boston nine months ago.  She was an amnesiac with no prior memories after an accident.  The head of the home named her Eden Martin because she couldn't remember her name.  She was at a bar when she saw a tall red headed man exchange a few words with another man with black hair and a goatee.  Something in the red headed man's manner reminded her of herself.  At times, he seemed lost and uncertain of things around him.

            She hoped that he would returned to that same bar, so she spent her time playing the piano while waiting for him to come.  He showed up again close to midnight and ordered a dry scotch straight at the bar.  The woman's hopes rose as she walked towards him.  He didn't look at her when she took the seat right next to him until she tapped his shoulder.  He looked at her with a calculating look as if whether deciding to talk to her or blow her off completely.

            "Um…I wanted to talk to you," she whispered uncertainly.

            "I'm not interested," he answered back as he re-focused his attentions back to his drink.  

            "I need you help.  Please," she pleaded desperately.   

            "Why?" he asked her without looking away from his drink.

            Eden sighed and decided to answer him: "I don't know I am.  Please help me find out who I am."

*

            Draco was questioning the officers who were first called to the scene of Skye Jones' murder.  He was talking to the police officer that had met Jonathan Daniels or Dante.  "Yeah, he was strange.  He didn't even try to muscle in pass the police tape to have a better look.  He just waited until we left."

            "What did he look like?" asked Draco.

            "He was tall.  About as tall as you.  Maybe taller.  He had red hair and blue eyes.  Not clean shaven, but he looked like a private detective.  I didn't ask for any identification because he wasn't asking too many questions and trying to interfere with the investigation," admitted the police officer sheepishly.

            "Thank you," said Draco as he stood up and left.  He found out more and more about that man who called himself Dante.  He didn't mind being on his own in New York City without Potter to help him.  He always preferred working alone.  He sensed his pocket watch go off and pulled it out.  The side of it acted like a telephone in Muggle terms, but it was a way of communicating with the Aurors back in Britain.

            "Malfoy, go to the Regency Hotel," said Harry.  His face was clearly on the watch.

            "Why?" asked Draco.

            "Because that's where Jonathan Daniels was staying at," answered Harry impatiently.

            "All right.  Stop ordering me around, Potter," he said as he closed his watch.  There were people on the street staring at him because he looked like he was talking a pocket watch, but there was another voice coming from the pocket watch.  As he walked off to take a cab to the Regency, a teenager commented, "Geez, they're coming up with some really weird cell phones these days."

            Draco came into the Regency and without much trouble got to look through the registry looking for Jonathan Daniels.  And much to his disappointment, Daniels had checked out of the hotel already.  He shook his head as he questioned the manager.  "Yes.  He was very quiet and hardly noticeable when he came here, Inspector.  He simply checked and checked out.  His room was located on the sixth floor of the hotel," said the manager.

            Draco looked around him.  He noticed that there was something in the corner of the lobby affixed onto the wall.  It had a little black lens in it.  Draco tried to remember what strange Muggle device it was, so he turned his attention back to the manager.  "what about that?" he asked has he pointed at the camera.

            "Ah, yes.  I almost forgot about that.  We had them installed for the safety of our guests and ours as well.  I do have the tapes from day that Mr. Daniels checked in," said the manager helpfully as he gestured for Draco to follow him to another room.  It was a weird room full of interesting Muggle devices.  The manager told another man in a uniform to look for something called a "tape" from the day and around the time that Daniels checked in.  

            Draco took a sit and watched as the man in the uniformed pressed some buttons and the screen in front of them changed from black and showed moving pictures like wizards' paintings.  Draco nearly gasped when he saw the people moving really fast inside the box.  Finally, man stopped at the right place.  Draco held his breath slightly as he watched.  A man walked into the hotel and stopped at the front desk to check in.  The bottom of the screen told Draco what time and date it was.  Part of him marveled at how Muggles managed to get around without magic.  Draco looked at the man on the screen.  "Stop here.  Can you get a closer picture of him?" asked Draco.

            "No problem," said the man in the uniform as he pressed some more buttons.  The picture became unclear as he got closer.  "Wait a sec.  I can fix that blur.  Okay.  Here he is."

            Draco instantly recognized the man on the screen.  He narrowed his gray eyes and thought to himself, _Ron Weasley.  That's Ron Weasley.  He's alive._

AN: For those of you who say I should have a beta reader…tough luck on that.  I've gone through a few beta readers in my time.  One of two things happens, they never pan out and are never heard from again.  Or worse they don't just look at the minor grammar mistakes, they try to change my writing style.  I'm open to suggestions, but I don't appreciate it when someone acts like they can total change my style.  Also, there are times when some inappropriate grammar is needed.  One of my beta readers tried to correct someone's dialogue, and she had an obvious lack of knowledge of the character for not knowing that it's supposed to be that way.  Another thing is the minor grammar mistakes stem from the fact that I type far too fast, and my typing still can't catch up to my thoughts most of the time.  And some times, it's better when the person isn't obsessed with Harry Potter, so they won't try to offer too much things to add in.  I probably shouldn't have too many grammar mistakes, considering that I've read other people's fics where the language is too simple, and there are too many simple sentences.  My writing tends to be more advance in language and style compared to other writers who write fan fiction.  It's taken many English classes to get this far, and I'm still trying to perfect my style.  With each story I write, my style gets better and grammar mistakes will minimize.  Simple grammar mistakes are easier to see with my style because it's more complex than most fanfiction I read.  And I also need someone who is willing to work around my pace and do the volume of work required.  So, no I won't be getting a beta reader anytime soon, so anyone making a comment on getting one will be ignored.  :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I own this story and all original characters pertaining to this story.  Please use this story with my permission.


	7. Rumors and Dreams

Living Memory

Chapter Seven: Rumors and Dreams

            Draco stared at the person on the screen.  He knew it was Ron Weasley.  It was pretty hard to forget the person he considered as one of his enemies when they were at Hogwarts.  Ron's hair seemed longer in the front than the last time Draco saw him.  He also didn't look as clean cut or shaven as he used to; he was more rugged and rough.  "Can you give me a copy of this picture on the screen?" asked Draco hurriedly.  He realized the bombshell he had hit.

            "Sure, I'll make you a good copy," said the security guard.  He fiddled around with the machine in front of him.  Draco wanted to shake his head because he thought it was strange that the man could use something with all the letters jumbled up out of alphabetically order on a keyboard.  

            "Is everything to your liking, Inspector?" asked the manager anxiously.  Obliviously, he wanted Draco out because to have any form of police there made the hotel look bad.  Draco merely nodded as he took the picture from the security guard.  "Thank you very much for your cooperation," he said briskly as he made his way out of the hotel.  

            He looked quickly for a place where he could safely call back the Aurors' offices.  "Potter," he said to his pocket watch.

            "What did you find out, Malfoy?" asked Harry.

            "I found out who Dante is," answered Draco.  "I need to go back to London to tell you, but I'm going to do some more inquirers."

            "Why don't you just tell me now?" asked Harry.

            "I have to show you.  I doubt you'd believe me without anymore proof than what I have right now, so I'm going to find out more about Dante," answered Draco as he shut his watch before Harry had a chance to answer back.

            Harry started at his watch back at the Aurors.  "Stupid, arrogant git," mutter Harry under his breath.  

            "How's it working out with Malfoy?" asked Percy as he walked up to him.

            "Fine.  He said that he may have a lead on Dante," said Harry.

            "That's good.  I just got an owl from Mr. Jones.  He said that the murder had to be Muggle," said Percy.  

            "Of course, he would insist, and it's very likely.  But, Percy, it looks like someone went out of their way to murder Skye Jones.  And besides, what if the person knew who her father was," said Harry.  

            "Yes, it's quite possible that another wizard hired a Muggle to do the job.  We're looking into Skye Jones' personal life.  I've been doing that," said Harry.  He set himself off to do that after he told Malfoy where to go in New York.

            "What about Hermione?  Is she all right?" asked Percy with concern.  Harry looked up at him.  Harry noticed that Percy always asked him if Hermione was all right because Percy had the feeling that Hermione was lying to him and saying she was fine when she wasn't.  "She's fine.  We're looking at one suspect right now," answered Harry.

            "Who?" asked Percy eagerly.  

            "Someone who calls himself Dante.  The interesting thing was he introduced himself as Dante.  He was at the murder scene and asked questions from the police, but everyone who's spoken of him say that he was strange," answered Harry.

            Percy frowned at the news.  "A Muggle?  And person probably using a false identity," he concluded.

            "Yes, and Hermione's coming up with the profile of the murderer.  We're not even sure it was him, but we still have to question him," said Harry.

            "And where's Malfoy?" asked Percy.

            "Back in New York doing a follow up with the police officers who went to the scene," answered Harry.

            "Why aren't you with him?" asked Percy.  "I can't have my agents running around on their own like that, Harry.  Don't think you can break protocol just because it's Malfoy."  Percy said this with a very stiff tone.  He was the one who allowed Ron to go alone the night that he disappeared.  After that Percy was even more of a stickler for the rules than he normally was.  

            "Fine.  I will go and find Malfoy.  Besides, I shouldn't let him run around too many Muggles by himself anyway," said Harry as he stood up.  He didn't like the way that Percy was towering over him.

            "Good," said Percy as he turned on his heel to return to his office.  Harry sighed as he went off to go put on some Muggle clothes to go and join Malfoy back in New York.  The day was getting much longer than he had anticipated.

*

            Dante stared at the young woman who told said she need his help because she didn't know who she was either.  He took her by the arm gently and paid for his scotch.  "Let's go," he said.

            She nodded and followed him outside.  They walked together for about ten minutes before Dante said anything else.  "What do you mean you don't know who you are?  And what do you call yourself?" he asked her.

            "I guess I should start with the second question because it's the easiest one to answer.  I call myself Eden Martin.  And I don't know who I am.  One day I woke up in a hospital in Boston.  They said I was in some kind of car accident.  They told me that I had no identification on me, so they couldn't tell me who I was.  I was sent to a group home.  I left because I couldn't stand it any longer.  I came to New York.  I don't know what I'm really doing.  I only have memories to do stuff like play the piano and drive a car.  Only semantic memories according to my doctors.  I saw you when you came to that bar the other day.  You acted like me.  I thought that you could help me," said Eden.

            Dante said nothing as she told him her story.  It sounded like his, but instead of England, it was the United States.  "I like people to call me Dante," he said simply.  Eden smiled at him slightly.  "I woke up in a hospital in England.  I left it almost three years ago.  Did you have anything on you?  Anything?" he asked her to see if her story really was like his.

            Eden nodded and pulled something from under her shirt that was attached to a chain around her neck.  It was pendant that had a cross on it, but with an oval inlay surrounding it.  There were words in Greek engraved on the inlay.  She held it out for Dante to see in her palm without taking off the necklace, but the silver chain was long enough.  "It says in Greek: 'Come home with your shield or on it.'  I've been learning Greek because of it, but there's nothing else.  What do you have?" she asked as tucked her pendant back underneath her shirt.

            "This," whispered Dante as he showed her his wedding band without taking it off.  "There's some engravings inside the band, but in English.  'R.W. + H.G.  14/2/2003.  4EVER.'  I'm told it's a wedding band."

            "So you were married?" asked Eden.  "Or are still married," she corrected herself.

            "I don't know.  How do we know that these are really our possessions?  Do you remember anything if you try hard enough?  Have you had dreams that weren't dreams, but memories of who you were?" asked Dante.

            She furrowed her brows for a moment as if she was concentrating on something specific in her mind.  "Yes, I remember some things.  In some of my dreams, I'm dressed in strange clothes.  Long flowing robes, but not all the time.  Other times, I'm in a large building looking at the designs of buildings, what do you remember?" she asked.

            Dante really didn't know how to say it, so he said it as bluntly as possible, "Making love to a woman.  I assume she's my wife."  Eden blushed at his answer.  Dante didn't look like it was a big deal to get embarrassed about.  She stood there and wondered if he really was going to help her or not.  If not, then she would continue to search on her own.  

            "Are you going to help me or not?" asked Eden with a sigh.  

            "I have to warn you.  I'm not exactly the safest person to trust," warned Dante.  His blue eyes narrowed at hers for a moment.  His look was so strong that she felt like she was being pulled into it.  She broke the stare off after much effort.  "Fine," she whispered as she held out her hand.  Dante shook hands with her.  They had placed each other's lives into each other hands. 

*

            Harry hated the fact that he had to hunt Malfoy.  It was taking a lot longer than he had anticipated, and so he was now wandering around aimlessly.  It was a combination of trying to put his thoughts in order and to avoid looking for Malfoy.  _Damn him.  Damn him.  Damn him,_ thought Harry.  He really didn't like Percy that day for forcing him to go look for Malfoy.  Besides, he thought that they were making excellent progress working on their own like that.  However, guiltily, he thought that Percy's reactions were warranted.  Harry thought about Ron.  _Damn Ron, for being so stubborn about his stupid plan,_ thought Harry sadly.  Harry quickly apologized in his mind for calling Ron stupid.  He wasn't stupid.  No, Ron was smarter than Harry.  Harry was more clever than Ron, but he was smarter than him.  Harry thought of little Tyler and how smart the boy already was.  He was pretty good at mouthing off at his mother for someone who had just learned how to talk.  Harry smiled at the thought of his godson, but Malfoy broke into his thoughts, "I told you I would come back after I was done, Potter.  What you didn't think I could handle things without you?" asked Malfoy with annoyance.

            Harry looked at him with a glare.  "No, Percy ordered me to come here because we broke protocol when I let you go off without me," he said through his teeth.

            "It must be nice to be on the good side of the boss and calling him by his first name," said Malfoy.

            "You never thought you'd be with the good guys did you?  Or that you'd be working for under a Weasley?  Or that I would be your partner now?  Believe me, I didn't think any of those things would happen to you, Malfoy," said Harry with a smirk of his own.  

            "You're absolutely right, Potter.  But, it's better that you came to me anyway.  I don't think I should be saying what I'm about to say around the Aurors.  I don't know how to say this," said Malfoy.  His tone signaled that they weren't going to continue their diatribe any longer, and he was serious about what he was going to say.

            "What is it Malfoy?  And it better be good because Percy's expecting results," said Harry with a sigh, not wanting Malfoy to stall any longer.  He thought it was strange that Malfoy would stall.  If there was any news that Harry wouldn't like to hear, he was pretty sure that Malfoy wouldn't spare a second to tell him.  

            Malfoy cleared his throat slightly.  "This is the picture of the person we know as Jonathan Daniels.  Alias, Dante.  Um…neither is his real name," he said as he quickly handed the picture to Harry.  Draco knew that Harry wouldn't believe him otherwise.  

            The picture was in Harry's hands, and in less than a moment his emerald orbs widened in a flash.  "This looks like…" he stammered.  

            "Ron Weasley?" offered Draco with a nod.  Harry looked at Malfoy and back at the picture.  "Potter, I thought that you should know about this first.  Either that's a doppelganger of Weasley or it's really him, but he looks different from before.  I thought that you could be the one to break the news to everyone else.  There you can look like the hero again."

            Harry said nothing as he looked at Draco.  "Did you do any conformation on this?" he asked ignoring Draco's last comment.

            "Yes, I've been asking around.  No one's heard of a Jonathan Daniels, but some have heard of Dante.  Some disreputable people.  The type that clean cut Ron Weasley wouldn't associate with.  There are rumors of a person in the Muggle underworld of man named Dante," said Draco.  He knew a lot about underworlds.  After all, he practically grew up in the wizarding one and spent most of his adulthood stopping it.  The Muggle one sounded almost as bad as the wizarding one.  

            "What kind of rumors?" asked Harry.

            "The man known as Dante is one of the best Jack-of-All-Trades in the world," said Draco.  

            "What's that?" asked Harry as he and Draco started walking along.

            "Well, I'm not so sure about that.  Jacks-of-All-Trades do whatever their employers order them to do.  I'm talking assassinations, theft, kidnappings—"

            "Wait…that doesn't sound like Ron," interrupted Harry shaking his head.  Draco pursed his lips because he was getting really annoyed with Harry.

            "I'm only telling you what I found out," said Draco.

            "And how did you do that?" asked Harry suspiciously.

            "I have this," said Draco as he pulled something out of his pocket.  It was a small vial with clear liquid inside.

            "You gave the people you questioned Veritaserum?  Are you mad?" asked Harry incredulously.  

            "It's not normal Veritaserum, Potter.  I developed it myself while I was working in Northern Ireland.  I don't make people drink it.  You see, the vial has a special cap on it.  I allow people to smell it without knowing it.  It only effects Muggles, so I'll also known when I'm taking to a wizard or not," said Draco in a superior tone much like the one he used when they attended Hogwarts.

            "That's still wrong," insisted Harry.  He couldn't believe the gall that Malfoy had.  Was he total devoid of ethics?  

            "Look, Potter, you're the one who's been given cases that make you look good.  You've been given cases where you can openly brag about them.  You weren't given cases with hopes that you don't come back alive," said Malfoy.  

            The truth was that Malfoy had a lot to prove to everyone in the Ministry of Magic.  Professor Snape believed in him and put him forward to be an agent.  The heads of the departments didn't trust him, so they purposely put Draco through the hardest and most dangerous cases.  However, it didn't work in discouraging him or killing him, rather his success in the cases built his reputation.

            "We can't just say this.  We're supposed to be investigating Skye Jones' murder, but if this guy is Ron, then we could a major problem.  And there's Hermione," said Harry with a sigh.  He rubbed his eyes under his glasses.

            "That's why I thought you should know first.  No way, I'm going to break this news to the Chief and her without knowing exactly where Weasley is," said Draco.

            "All right.  Oh, great.  I just remembered: Hermione's investigating Dante herself.  Okay, this is what we're going to do.  She's a profiler, but she's not really profiling the real killer exclusively.  So, we'll just tell Percy that we'll be investigating Dante, and have Hermione investigate the real killer.  And knowing Percy, he'll try his hardest to keep Hermione at the offices back in England.  And we don't have to show Percy this picture straight off, we'll just keep it to ourselves until we find Ron or Dante.  Whatever his name is," said Harry musingly.  

            Draco was actually stunned at Harry's planning.  "Well, I didn't know you had such a sneaky mind, Potter.  That actually sounds like a good plan," he commented.

            "I aim to please," said Harry in very sarcastic voice.

            "So, you're the one who's going to do the taking with Chief Weasley.  What about your friend?  You're going to be lying to her," said Draco.  

            "I know, but I don't want to get her hopes up either.  Do I have your word that you'll keep quiet about this for now?" asked Harry as he looked Malfoy straight in the eye.

            "Yes.  Like I said, I don't want to break this news to them myself.  And I'd like to get Weasley back here as well.  He can be your partner," agreed Draco.

*

            Dante and Eden walked back to Dante's motel.  Eden had no worldly possessions on her really.  She had some money from jobs that she worked from place to place.  She had a small pack of clothes that she took with her, but that was all.  Dante let her have the bed, and he slept on the floor after much argument.  He told her that they would move to another motel.  Dante was very honest with her and told her what kind of work he did.  Eden didn't allow herself to be disgusted or shaken by it; she didn't have that luxury.  

            Dante had a hard time going to sleep.  He was having a strange dream.  It wasn't like any of the other dreams he had before.  It was different.  He dreamt he was in a dark place where people were asking him questions, but he refused to give them any answers.  They inject drugs into his veins.  Later on, he could see himself strapped to something that looked like a dentist chair.  There were straps that held his ankles, waist, wrists, and one around his temple to hold him down.  Soon, he saw a huge needle coming at him.  A mechanical arm was holding it and coming towards his neck.  Dante struggled against the straps…

            "Dante.  Dante.  Wake up.  You're having a nightmare," whispered Eden as she gently shook him on the carpeted floor of the motel room.  Dante woke up with a jolt and grabbed the gun he had underneath his pillow and pointed it straight at her face.  She pulled back with a look of fright that really woke him up.  He lowered his gun.

            "I'm sorry.  I'm not used to having anyone wake me up from my nightmares," mumbled Dante.  

            "It's all right.  I get nightmares all the time, too.  I should have known better," said Eden as she eyed his gun.  Dante shoved it back underneath his pillow.  

            "What are we going to do now?" he asked her.

            "You said that you woke up in a hospital in England?  Why don't we start there?" asked Eden.

            "Perhaps, we should start in Boston since we're already in America," said Dante.

            Eden had a thoughtful look on her face and nodded in agreement.  "I'm going back to sleep.  We both should," she said as she stood up and went to the bed.  She felt bad for putting him out.  

            Dante didn't know why, but he felt an instant familiarity with her.  She reminded him of someone.  Perhaps, someone from his past.  He wasn't so sure.  He looked at the band of gold on his finger again.  No, he didn't feel any sort of attraction to her.  She seemed like she need his help, and he felt like he needed to help her.  She was small, and he was pretty sure that she was younger than him.  His thoughts went back to Skye Jones at that moment.  He still didn't' know why she was murdered by Brian Hunt.  And now he had a chance to look for his past, but he wasn't ready to let Skye Jones's murder go just yet.  

            He lifted his head for a moment to look at Eden.  She was sleeping so peacefully.  He thought that she looked like a child because of the way blankets were wrapped around her in such a way that made her looked buried in them.  Skye Jones was already dead, and Eden Martin was alive.  Dante decided it was more important to help Eden Martin.  Besides, he already knew who murdered Skye Jones, and he could deal with that later.  Finally, he went to sleep again.  This time without any dreams.

AN: Two chapters so quickly.  My hand feels so much better.  Who does Eden remind Dante/Ron of?  Hmm.  I'll leave that for you guys to guess.  Yes, this is going to be a big mystery.  And I had fun making up the conversation that Harry and Draco have.  And yes, Draco does have some manners towards his superiors.  It may seem strange, but he's worked hard to get to where he is, so it makes sense that he's so formal.  Harry comes up with an interesting plan.  And I've been getting a lot of interesting reviews lately.  Thankies.  I need the confidence boost after that horrifying Physics final.  ^_~

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I do own this story.  Please use with my permission.  ^_~


	8. Words to Live By

Living Memory

Chapter Eight: Words to Live By

            Dante and Eden took a short plane ride to Boston.  The weather there was colder and winder than it was in New York City.  However, it was just another place to Dante.  Eden told him about the life she had now, and he didn't say much about his.  Despite knowing what about his occupation and having a gun drawn at her, Eden trusted him and had faith in him.  If there was nothing else in the world they could believe in, then it was going to be each other.  She didn't care that Dante contributed more than his share of human suffering.  

            Whenever, Eden moved to a new place, she made it a point to find a job.  She did jobs as a waitress or odd jobs.  Dante never really had to worry about money once he really started working as a Jack-of-All-Trades.  Most jobs on the averaged paid around five figures, so he told her there was no need for her to get work.  They would just look around Boston until they found what they needed and then go to England for him.  Dante was partly relieved that he had a companion after all the time that had past.  He had received some calls from clients calling him back to work, but he didn't return them.  That was a signal that he either wasn't interested or was doing another job.  Eden felt bad about letting Dante pay for everything and for having hardly any money.  And she was also used to traveling by bus, and she couldn't remember what it was like to be on a plane, so her first flight was a bit scary for her.  

            Dante served as a calming presence for Eden.  He was so sure, while she was not.  He was strong, while she was weak.  Little did she know, that Eden was giving him something that he couldn't remember ever having: hope.  There was something else that Dante didn't know: his business in New York City was going to catch up with him along with Brian Hunt.

            They stopped by the hospital where Eden had awoken nearly three years ago before being dropped off at the group home she stayed in.  Dante asked the questions while Eden tried to familiarize herself with her surroundings again.  "The strange thing is, Dante, nothing here even looks remotely familiar.  I keep hoping for some kind of feeling.  Anything.  Déjà vu," said Eden with a hint of helplessness in her voice as she pressed her hand against the cold wall outside the hospital.

            "I felt the same way you did when I woke up in London," said Dante grimly.  "I think there's something really strange.  My instincts tell me that we've been lied to.  And I think that the staff also has been lied to."

            "You mean they don't know any better than we do?  I suppose that's so.  I mean I remember some of the nurses there.  Actually, I remember the doctors.  They're the same ones," said Eden with a sigh.  Dante more than sympathize with her because he was having the same feelings of frustration.  Not that he didn't have his ways of getting information that he wanted, but his instincts told him that the hospital staff didn't know any better.  That was just too many people in low positions to keep a secret about why two people in the world would have the same circumstances such as theirs.  

            "Sometimes, I feel like the world is against us," she whispered.

            "The world is against everyone, Eden," clarified Dante.

            Eden looked at him for a moment and made him uncomfortable.  He broke the stare that she gave him and he turned away from her.  "You just sound so cynical.  Like you have no hope, Dante," said Eden softly.

            "I just know what the world is like, Eden.  There is no heaven.  Just hell and earth," he murmured without facing her.

            "Have you ever read the Inferno?" asked Eden.  

            "Yes, that's where I pulled my name from.  Of course, I've read it.  It's a long poem by Dante.  It's about a man who goes through earth, heaven, and hell.  The devil guides the man.  That's who he makes the deal with," answered Dante.  He had read the entire text in English, but learned Italian to read the original, hoping to find some further meaning.  

            "Then you know that the man finds peace in heaven," said Eden.  

            "Eden, we're trying to get back to earth, not heaven," said Dante, refusing to discuss anything else, he walked forward, and Eden followed him wordlessly.

*

            Harry and Draco both agreed it was best to return to England to report to Percy and carry out Harry's plan about looking into Dante.  Harry felt bad about lying to Hermione, but he didn't want to tell her about Dante just yet.  Draco had the satisfaction that the great, powerful Harry Potter was forced to fight his ethics and morals and lie, not just to his best friend, but also to all of the Aurors.  However, if Harry's plans were successful, he'd be the hero again.  And this time, Draco would get some share of the limelight, but he really didn't want his association with Potter to go that far.  If that happened, then people would start to think they were friends, and that was just unnatural.  

            When they returned to the Aurors Headquarters, they were surprised to find a little red headed boy running around.  A young woman with red hair was chasing him after.  She looked like the little boy's mother, but she was his aunt.  Harry stopped when he saw her, and called to her, "Ginny!  What are you doing here?"

            "Well, Mum had some errands to run, so I said I'd take Tyler with me to the offices to see his mum.  Hermione insists on having dinner with her baby every night, and since she can't really get away, I brought some dinner for her in this picnic basket.  We'll have an indoor picnic, won't we Ty?" she said this all very quickly as her eyes searched the room, which had several desks to find the little boy.

            "Hey!" he said happily to one of the Aurors at his desk.  He waved to the little boy who smiled back.  Tyler looked like he was going to move on ward to the next person to meet.  Who wanted to stay with Aunt Ginny, when he already knew who she was?  There was so much more people to met other than her.  

            "Ty!" called out Ginny with much exasperation at the child.  "Remind me, not to have any children anytime soon."  She handed the picnic basket to Harry and stomped over to Tyler who gave her an innocent look much like the looks that his uncles, Fred and George, would give to people when they wanted to look like they had done nothing wrong.

            She picked up the child.  He gave out a whimper, but didn't cry at all.  Ginny walked back and finally noticed Draco Malfoy.  She stiffened up.  "Hello Malfoy," she said formally.

            "Hello," he said back to her with a trademark Malfoy smirk.  Ginny couldn't stand him because of all the insults that he threw at Ron.  She couldn't stand him ever since she first defended Harry at the Flourish and Blotts when she was eleven.  He made fun of all the Weasleys for having no money.  As far as she was concerned he was as wretched his father, and she thought it was foolish that anyone would trust him.  Ginny had problems trusting people, especially if there was proof that they weren't worthy of her trust.  She wanted to laugh out loud at the irony of Malfoy answering to Percy.  Maybe, that's why her brother had him there.  "So, is this, Dr. Granger and Inspector Weasley's son?" he asked in the same formal tone that Ginny had given him earlier.

            Ginny was completely thrown by his question.  He sounded, formal, but he didn't sound like he was mocking them.  She nodded.  "Ty, introduce yourself," she instructed her nephew.

            "My name is Tyler Ronald Weasley.  And I'm this many," he said proudly as he showed two fingers.  "Uncle Harry!" he declared when he notice his godfather.  He squirmed to get out of Ginny's grasp and go into his godfather's waiting arms.  Harry gave the boy a kiss on the cheek.  "I missed you," he said softly to his godson.

            "I'm hungry.  Where's Mummy?" he asked out loud.  He looked so cute.  Ginny shook her head and looked upward towards the heavens.  "I won't have children.  And it only took one Weasley child to do it," she said.

            "That's not just any ordinary Weasley child, Ginny.  That's Ron's son," observed Draco with a grin that was less of a smirk.  He was predicting that Tyler was going to be the same troublemaker his father was at Hogwarts.  He almost pitied Hermione.  Almost.

            "I want Mummy!" declared Tyler.  Harry quickly moved away from all the desks and opened the door to Hermione's office without knocking to find that she was still at her desk.  "Mummy!" cried Tyler who made his eyes water for effect.  Harry could swear he was going to be an actor someday.  Hermione stood up and got her son.  "Hi, Baby.  Did you behave yourself for your Aunt Ginny?" she asked him in a soft voice that was just for him.  

            "He tried," said Ginny when she came to the doorway with Malfoy close behind her.  This was the first time that Draco had ever seen Hermione with her son.  Little Tyler told her about his day.  Everyone else either couldn't understand his ramblings, or didn't pay attention.  Hermione seemed happier with Tyler around.  Why shouldn't she?  He was the last thing that her husband left her with.  She held him as he told her about playing with Aunt Ginny and he also played with the folds in her robes.  She finally looked up at Harry and Draco.  "How did it go?" she asked.

            "Fine," answered Draco, not trusting Harry to be able to lie to her.  

            "We're going to report to Percy," said Harry as he turned his back.  He was feeling ashamed of what he was about to do to Hermione, so he didn't want to face her just yet.  He walked off to Percy's office.  He had a better plan now that Ginny and Tyler being there distracted Hermione.  

            "Hurry back, Harry.  You must be starving," said Ginny as they went off.  Draco closed the door and followed Harry.  "That is the strangest thing I've ever seen," she said as soon as the door closed.

            "You mean, Draco?" asked Hermione as she put Tyler down and gave him a little sandwich.

            "Yes, and why are you calling him by his first name?" asked Ginny with a suspicious eyebrow.

            "He's Harry's partner.  I do that with all of his partners.  All six of them prior.  Besides, Draco doesn't think Ron left on purpose.  He doesn't talk about him in past tense," said Hermione softly.  Ginny gently placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders.  

            Tyler looked up at his mother and asked something, "Mummy, where's my Daddy?" 

*

            Brian did as he was ordered to.  He followed Dante all the way to Boston.  He also noticed the girl that was with him and reported her.  His client sounded happy about her and ordered Brian to keep an eye on her as well.  Brian followed them as he they went to a hospital and left.  He had no idea why they went there.

            Little did Brian know that Dante already knew that he and Eden were being watched.  He always had a sixth sense about things like that.  He knew that they were being followed.  He said nothing to Eden about it.  He didn't want to alarm her unnecessarily.  He was going to handle it himself.  They stopped at a small bistro and had some of Boston's famous clam chowder.  They quietly ate their chowder with some bread and soda to wash it down.  Finally, they regained the ability to speak once again.  "I've been thinking about this thing.  Do you ever think that we should just settle into the world without looking for the truth?"  

            "Can you live like that?" asked Dante.

            "No.  I cannot live without knowing," said Eden immediately.  Dante looked down at his food and spoke again, "Then we continue this." 

            They both finished their meals and took off for the hotel they were staying at.  Dante had reserved a suite for them, so that he could avoid drawing his gun against Eden needlessly.  Dante knew that it was time to catch the person who was watching them.  When Eden went down for a nap, after much convincing from Dante to do so, he slipped out of the hotel to look for the man who was watching them.

            Brian was watching the hotel from the rooftop of another building.  He had no idea that Dante was about to descend upon him like an angel.  Brian watched the hotel carefully, but Dante moved far too quickly.  He always thought that Dante wasn't any ordinary human being.  He was almost vampire like in his movements.  He had an opportunity to work with Dante before.  Dante moved quicker than the wind and would appear on top of anyone before they even had a chance to see him coming.  

            He should have been more surprised, but he wasn't when he turned around to find Dante pointing his gun straight at him once again.  Brian spun around just as Dante came up to him, drawing his gun.  They pointed at each other.  "Do we have to do this every time we meet now?" asked Brian.

            "That depends on whether or not I'll kill you now," sneered Dante.  The wind picked up around them a bit blowing through Dante's bangs.  His bangs had gotten longer.  They covered usually covered his right eye.  However, both of his blue eyes shone through his fiery locks.  He looked like the devil himself with his red hair glinting underneath the thin slivers for sunlight that pushed passed the clouds that hung above them.  

            The power of his gaze was locked into Brian's eyes.  It was a test of wills through their eyes.  One test that Brian quickly surrendered to by breaking Dante's gaze because he couldn't stand it any longer than a few moments.  "If you wanted to kill me, you would have already done so," said Brian, allowing himself some satisfaction.   

            "That's true.  I want to who sent you after me," said Dante.

            "I can't say," said Brian.

            "Very well," said Dante calmly.  "I know you better than you know me, Brian.  You're not a student of human nature, and you're far to focus on your task to pay attention to how people really are."  

            "I know how the world works, Dante.  I know you pretty well also.  You're someone with a scrambled head who wants to know who he is," said Brian with a sneer.

            At the same moment, they fired their guns at the same time, but both were able to dodge the bullets as they came.  Brian took of running for the same stairs that he and Dante used to get up to the roof in the first place, but he couldn't see where Dante had gone.  He raced to level ground and slipped into an alleyway.  Suddenly, Dante dropped right in front of him.  Brian fired his gun again as Dante dodge the bullets as if by magic in the narrowed space.  (AN: Think Matrix-style ^_^)  

            "Dammit!  Why can't you just die?!" shouted Brian.

            The guns set off in a blaze again.  Each man running faster and on to the docks where there were warehouses.  Brian chased after Dante only to find that once again, he had vanished into thin air.  

            Brian now had a new plan.  He was going to have to call in more people.  He couldn't stand Dante.   He was going to stop Dante.  Regardless of the rules.

*

            Harry and Draco reported what they found to Percy who listened to them without a lot of interruption.  He only interrupted for clarification, which Draco was doing most of.  At the end of the report, Harry gave the suggestion of what to do next and which part of the investigation he and Draco would handle exclusively.

            Percy didn't think of really questioning Harry's suggestion about Hermione.  He always avoided sending her out into the field.  She was his sister-in-law after all.  Percy felt that it was his duty to protect her in his younger brother's absence.  Harry and Draco were going to investigate Dante.  From what he had heard, he didn't like the thought of anyone like that running around anywhere, even in the Muggle world.  And he felt that Harry and Draco were safer because they had more field experience that Hermione.  They could easily handle Dante with their wands.  

            "Let's go tell Hermione what we're doing," said Percy.  He wasn't told that his sister and nephew were at the offices.  He was too engross in his work earlier to hear any of the noise his nephew had made when they came in.  Percy knocked the door and Ginny opened it.  He smiled for her and she gave him a hug, "Percy!"

            "Uncle Percy!" exclaimed Tyler as he run over to Percy who picked him up.  Tyler kissed him on his cheek.  Harry almost laughed at the idea of the head of the Aurors, being so soft with his nephew.  

            "What are you doing here, Ty?" asked Percy.

            "I come with Auntie Ginny," answered Tyler.  

            "What is it?" asked Hermione as she took her son and handed him off to Ginny.  They went out of the office to walk around while they talked.  It took less than a minute for Hermione to realize that she was taken off the investigation in regards to Dante.

            "What do you mean?" demanded Hermione as her temper flared.  Percy looked calmly at her.  

            "There are two parts of this investigation.  Yes, Dante is a suspect.  And yes, there is no question that Dante is dangerous, but I need you to look at the fact that there is another suspect.  And you can't be going after him just because his description remotely matches Ron's," said Percy as gently as he could allow, while at the same time sounding commanding.

            Harry and Draco avoided looking directly at her or at each other, so they keep their eyes on Percy's back.  _No, he doesn't remotely look like Ron.  He is Ron,_ thought Harry grimly.  Hermione looked like she had been slapped at that moment.  Had she been so focused on Dante because he sounded like Ron?  She suddenly felt guilty.  This was about the Jones, not her.  Skye Jones was the victim, and she had to stop thinking of herself that way.  She regained her composure and looked at Percy straight in the eye.  "I understand.  I'll do things from my end.  As long as Harry and Draco do their work," agreed Hermione reluctantly.

            Percy gave her a curt nod as he turned to face Harry and Draco who retuned his nod with nods of their own.  "We'll handle Dante," agreed Harry, still without looking at Draco.

            "We'll keep you posted Percy," said Harry, carefully he didn't say that he'd keep Hermione posted.  Ginny came back with Tyler in her arms.  He wanted to be held by his uncle again.  Tyler had seen all the pictures of his father, so he was naturally drawn to all his uncles.  He had five uncles who resembled his father in some way.  

            "You look grumpy, Uncle Percy," he declared.  

            Percy immediately looked surprised.  "Do I?" he asked his nephew again who nodded his head frantically.  Percy let out a laugh as he kissed him on his forehead.  "I'm sorry for being grumpy.  Be good to your mum, all right?" he added.

            "Yes," said Tyler.  He reached his arms out to his mother who took him.  "I think we should go home now," she said.

            "Aww.  Me stay," he said.  Sometimes, Tyler's grammar failed, but he was still learning, and was more advance than most children his age, wizard or not.  "Please.  Longer," he pleaded as he pouted to his mother.

            "I don't know.  We should go home.  You need to go to sleep soon," said Hermione.

            Tyler let out a whimper because he knew that he had lost.  Hermione gathered up her things and Tyler's things with Ginny's help.  Harry walked with them to the fire hearth they were going to take back to Hermione's house.  Tyler kissed his godfather and uncle good bye.  Ginny went with them to make sure they got settled back home all right.

*

            Dante came back to the hotel without a scratch on him.  He was just about to go back to the suite when he heard someone playing the grand piano in the lobby.  He found that Eden was playing the piano.  She stopped when she saw him approaching.  "Where did you go?" she asked.

            "I went to go handle something," said Dante with a dismissive shrug.

            "I see.  I went downstairs to look at you, but I found this instead.  No one was playing it.  And it seemed to beckon me to come and play," said Eden with a smile.

            "Did you learn how to play?" asked Dante.

            "No, I just knew how," answered Eden.  She began to play again.  It was Beethoven's Für Elsie.  Dante took a seat next to her as she lifted her hand that was closest to him.  He took over for that hand, elegantly playing the music in time with her.  Something in him told him that he knew how to play the piano as well, but something else told him that he had limited practice at it in his previous life.  They both stopped playing.

            "You're pretty good.  Even though you're timing was a little off," she observed.  

            "Thank you.  It's strange sometimes.  There were so many things that I didn't know how to do when I first woke up.  Computers, phones, televisions, all those sorts of things were so foreign to me," he said.

            "I know what you mean.  I mean I knew what those things were, but I felt like I've never used them before," she agreed.

            "At least you feel like you've heard of them before, I didn't have a clue," he said.  

            "Do you have a have a strange feeling?  I once had a dream were I was floating.  And when I woke up I could have swore I was levitating off of my bed, but as soon as I realized it I crashed back down.  I'm not even sure if it ever really happened," she muttered as she rubbed her temple.

            "I've had strange feelings like those.  Sometimes, I get a strange tingle in my body like energy trying to escape," he observed.

            "That's it!  That's exactly the feeling I'm talking about!" she exclaimed as if she was happy to find someone who understood.  "I also have this who tip of the tongue thing.  I sometimes feel words coming to my lips, but they never come."

            "I've had that feeling as well.  You said that you learned how to read Greek?  And I learned how to read Italian.  Do the words sound familiar to you in either language?  Especially Latin, if you've studied it?" he asked quietly.

            "Yes, they do," she agreed happily.  "But, I think that they're real Latin words.  Except that for maybe some kind of variations."

            "I think so," said Dante.  He didn't know why their conversation was so important, but if felt like a break through.  They both went and got something to eat again, but ate quickly.  Dante bought some pens, pencils, and pads of paper.  They went back to the hotel suite and started to list things they knew was familiar.  

            First, they worked in separate rooms, so that their results wouldn't effect each other's.  They came back and found that a lot of it was the same.  Eden noticed that they knew a lot Latin and Greek roots.  Dante used his laptop to go on-line to look them up by going through reliable search engines.  They were simple words like "summon", "protect", and "levitate."  Most of the words were Latin based.  They looked through everything they could.

            Dante hadn't felt that alive than he had in the past few years of his life.  He and Eden didn't know that they were listing simple magic spells because at one point in their lives, they were fully trained in magic.

Author's Note: I finished this chapter a few hours after the Oscars.  I didn't know that the movie that inspired me _Momento_ was nominated for best original screenplay.  It really is an interesting movie.  What do you think of Eden so far?  She's really nice…don't get too attached to her.  Brian's about to summon his posse to come to Boston and assist him in taking care of Dante.  Yeah, I know it's bad that Harry lied by omission to Hermione, but I would to underneath the circumstances.  I thought it was a good time to show more of Tyler.  Dante and Eden have no idea what they're really doing.  If only they had wands…

I'm going home for Spring Break, but don't worry, my little laptop will be coming along with me.  Let's see how much work I get done.  I'm kind of sad that _Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_ didn't win for best picture.  ;_;

Disclaimer:  As I say this on many sites.  I don't own Harry Potter.  I am only a humble college student on loans.  


	9. Last Word

Living Memory 

Chapter Nine: Last Word

            "You called us up here 'cause you can't take care of one man?" asked one of the men that Brian Hunt summoned to Boston.

            "He's not any ordinary man.  He defies all logic and physics," replied Brian evenly.  The group of men he brought to Boston eyed him strangely until one of them spoke up again.  "Who is this guy anyway?"

            "Dante," said Brian.  There came a gasp from some of the men.  "I think some of you have heard of him."

            "Yeah, I've heard of him.  I heard that on one job he axed out over twenty people all in the dark," said one.

            Another one spoke up, "I heard that he can run on walls."  There came more murmurs from the group.  Some knew that Dante was one of the best, and the only one who was up to Dante's skill was Brian.  The Jacks-of-All-Trades were in a class all their own, and if Brian couldn't handle Dante on his own, then Dante had to be even better than Brian.  They became uneasy and Brian detected it at once.  "He is only one man," said Brian.

            "He's only human.  Extraordinary, but still just a human being.  Just like you and me," said Brian.  

            "Fine, whatever you say.  You're paying us, right?" asked one of the men.

            "Of course," answered Brian.  There came more mumblings from the crowd.  Another man stepped forward, "If this is the Dante we're talking about, I need to get more money."

            "No," said Brian.  After his answer they knew better than to question him.  

            Two of the men stood up and got ready to leave the room.  "Where do you think you're going?" demanded Brian.

            "I would rather stay alive.  Thank you very much.  There isn't enough money in the world for me to go after that guy," said one of them as he continued walking.

            "I would rethink the whole thing if I were you, Hunt.  And so should the rest of you," said the other man.  

            "Go ahead and leave.  What about the rest of you?" he asked them as they looked amongst themselves, but no one else made the move to leave.  "Fine.  Let me explain what we're going to do."

*

            Dante woke up the next morning to find that Eden was already wake.  She had gone to a nearby bakery and café to bring back coffee and pastries to eat.  "What are we going to do now?" asked Eden.

            "We'll have to go back to England.  There's nothing more we can do here.  We'll go to London," replied Dante.  He sipped his coffee.  He took his coffee like he took his scotch: straight.  He didn't have sugar or cream in it.  Eden bought a café latte for herself, but she wasn't sure what kind of coffee Dante took, so she just bought regular coffee and brought back sugar and cream for him to add in.  She noticed that he never buttered bread when he ate it; he took it plain.  

            Also for someone who was trained to be an assassin, he didn't work out at all.  From what she could see, he took no efforts to maintain his trim frame at all.  She knew that he was strong.  He also knew how to use a multitude of weaponry.  And she was pretty sure that he could kill anyone using anything.  He wore expensive clothes and sunglasses with an olive green tint in them.  His eyes were deep blue that held no soul or life in them.  Eden suspected that in his past life he must have done great work.  Work that meant something.  Work that was good and important.  He wasn't the lifeless killing machine he had become.

            Eden could see flickers of it.  Dante never took off his wedding band.  He kept it on him as proof of his past.  Even though he made it appear as if he didn't know for sure that the ring really was his, he still wore that ring because in his heart he knew that he was still married to someone.  However, where was his wife?  Did she care that he was gone?  That was strange because Eden had no strong connection to her past like he had to his.  Wasn't there anyone out there who cared where he had gone?  

            "We'll have to get moving soon.  I'll have to call to see if there's a flight or check on-line.  We have to catch the first flight out of Boston to England," said Dante.  He believed in moving quickly.  To Eden, he moved as quietly as the wind most of the time.  It was hard to believe a man of his size could move like that at all.  

            "Okay, but we may not be able to, even if we get a flight.  It looks like it's going to rain.  I can smell in the air.  It's pretty strong, if I can smell it over the ocean air," said Eden as she looked out the window.

            True enough, the clouds seem to fill the air with dark ominous clouds that threatened to break and pour rain at any moment.  Dante looked at the clouds with his usual apathy and disinterest.  Perhaps, it would delay their plans a bit, but it wasn't going to stop either of them from finding out the truth.

            Which each path they went down, more questions arose even more.  Dante was wondering what really happened almost three years ago.  What happened in the world that made things so different for him and Eden.  Too many strange things happened around the world that made him wonder.  How was it possible that two people from two different parts of the world with obvious differences would have the same story to tell?  Eden didn't speak with an English accent, but she spoke with a soft accent that was native to New England.  Eden reminded him of someone, not his wife, but someone else.  Someone who was important to him.  She made him feel as if he had to protect her at all costs.  

            She seemed so much younger and innocent compared to him.  Her world was strange and unfamiliar to her, but she didn't have the blood of men on her hands.  Dante had the blood of men on his hands.  That was why he didn't say anything about Brian coming after him.  He didn't want to worry her unnecessarily.

*

            Hermione focused her investigation on any Muggle involved in the murder of Skye Jones.  She was at home working late at night when she received at knock at her door.  Her son was fast asleep, but ever since her husband's disappearance she was more alert than ever.  Her safety felt violated, so she was ready to defend herself just in case.  She reached for her wand.  And went to the door after she had put a quick protection ward over the doorway of her son's room.  Tyler stirred slightly, but he didn't wake.

            She was surprised to find, Charles Jones at her door.  "I'm sorry to bother you at this hour, Mrs. Weasley," he said in a tired voice.  He looked tired.  Or numb from something.  She noticed that he didn't address her as "Dr. Granger", but rather by "Mrs. Weasley."  She opened her door wider.  "Please come in, Mr. Jones," she said to him, inviting him inside.  

            "Please have a seat.  Would you like some tea?" asked Hermione anxiously.  

            "No, I shouldn't.  I don't want to impose on your hospitality," he said as he looked at her with a look of near guilty.  

            "What is it?" she asked.

            "I wanted to tell you about something that happened not too long ago," he said.

            "What?"

            "My daughter didn't die at the hands of the man known as Dante.  A Muggle murdered her."

            "You know about Dante?"  she asked in a surprised voice.  

            "Yes, I know about Dante," he answered in a bitter, sad tone.  "I also know the man who killed my daughter.  He's a Muggle.  He didn't kill her by his own hand, but he hired the man who did.  I don't know the man who killed her really, but I know who paid for it.  And I know that my own hand led to her death."

            Hermione's jaw dropped.  "But, why do you care so much what I think of Dante?"  She noticed how he went out his way make sure that she knew that Dante wasn't the one who committed the murder.  "Because I do not wish for you to think of him that way," he answered.  

            When Hermione had seen him last time, he didn't look his age.  He was close to the age of Mr. Weasley.  Now, he looked older than Mr. Weasley.  He looked like a man burdened by the death of his daughter and the guilty of something else.  It appeared as if he was apologizing for some wrong he had done to her.  "How do you know about the man who killed your daughter?  How do you know that he was a Muggle and someone hired an assassin to kill?  If you knew, why didn't you prevent it?" she asked.  

            "I know the man.  I can't say.  I am bounded by silence.  To break that silence…will result in my own death.  Just know this: Dante was a wizard," he said breathlessly as he looked away from her.  

            "He 'was a wizard'?" asked Hermione.  The only time she knew of a wizard being stripped of status and wand was Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts.  However, that was a different case.  Most wizards who did something illegal enough to be stripped were sent to Azkaban and their wands were snapped.  "Is he living as a Muggle?"

            "Yes, he is.  He was a wizard," he verified again.  He hung his head in shame again.  "I know of a way for you to get your answers.  I cannot continue like this.  I cannot face my wife and my son after what I've done to my daughter.  And I cannot continue to even look at you after what I've done.  You don't understand how much courage it's taken me to come here tonight to speak with you.  I can only hope that you can forgive me."

            "Who can I talk to?" she asked.  

            "Bode and Croaker," he answered.

            "They're the Unspeakables.  There's no way they'll talk to me about anything they're doing," she said in an incredulous voice.  Bode and Croaker worked in the Department of Mysteries.  They were the most tipped men in all of the Ministry of Magic.  They worked on cases that were separate from the Aurors. No one in the Ministry, save the Minister of Magic, knew what those two men were up to.  

            "Ask them about Project Lazarus.  No one is supposed to know about it, but they do.  It will surprise them to know that anyone other than them knows about it," he said simply as he walked to the door.  Hermione made no move to stop him, but as soon as he was gone, she allowed herself the shudder that she had suppressed from the moment he said he knew who murdered his daughter.  She went back upstairs, deciding that it was done to go to sleep, even though she couldn't.  Hermione stopped to look at her son.  She pulled down the wards and went to his crib to pull the blankets over him.  He stirred again, but Hermione gently kissed him.  After that, she put the wards because she still felt uneasy.  After that she went to bed in a restless sleep.

*

            Dante was able to book a flight.  It cost more, but he knew that it was worth it.  He was hoping to get out of Boston long before Brian had a chance to do anything.  He was willing to protect Eden no matter what.  He always traveled alone for a reason, and now he knew what that reason was: he didn't want anyone who trusted and cared for him to get hurt.  Even though it had been for only a few days, Eden trusted and cared for him.  He couldn't fail her.  She was the first person in almost three years that he cared about.  

            In the airport, Brian Hunt had set his trip among the airplane hangers with the men.  They came in and shot the mechanics along with any other staff members they found.  They hid the bodies away and took uniforms and cover alls out of lockers.  Brian decided that he would be the man to lure Dante to the hangers, and that Eden would be handled later on.  Dante made it a point to dispose of his weapon.  Not that he didn't know how to conceal his weapon on a plane.  There were ways, but he didn't want to risk it.  Weapons were easy to come by anyway he went.  He knew where to go.  They were waiting for the flight when the rain had finally broken through and the storm had started.  "All Flights are delayed due to rain," announced a voice through the sound system in the airport.  

            "I told you it would rain," said Eden with a slight smile.

            "It's fine.  We'll just have to wait it out or find another hotel," said Dante as his eyes continually scanned the airport until he saw Brian standing near one of the exits.  The expression didn't change on his face.  "I'll be back," he said as he stood up and took off. 

            "Wait!  Where are you going?" asked Eden.  She stood up and sat down as he took off running after Brian.  She looked around her nervously.

            Dante ran after Brian through the rain.  Gunfire came at him.  But, he was able to out run the bullets.  He was aware that there were more people out there.  He was going to have to find a way to stop them from killing him.  He decided it was time for him to do so, he ducked into one of the hangers where he knew that the bullets were coming for.  He came up behind one of the men without any noise.  He broke the man's neck quietly and cleanly.  He grabbed the gun along with whatever bullets the man had on him.  

            Brian ordered the men to find Dante.  How could they just lose him so quickly?  Suddenly, there came shoots and the sounds of men dying.  Brian could hear the sickening sound of a man choking his on his own blood.  When Brian and the other men arrive at the scene,  he could sense Dante's presence.  Two men were shot who were standing next to him.  He tumbled forward and turned.  The other men had disperses around him and took off running to different directions.  

            Lightning flashed in a moment, outlining the shape of a man standing in the shadows underneath a window.  The men fired at the shape, but as soon as a the lightning flashed again he was gone like a phantom.  Another set of shots fired, and three men dropped dead.  The other men who didn't know about Dante before understood why the two men had walked out during the briefing.  

            Some time later, another man-opened fire at him as he saw Dante clearly approach him.  His hand was unsteady and he couldn't hit Dante at all.  His eyes were open wide with fear.  "Please, don't kill me!" he pleaded.  He ran out of bullets and was on his knees.  He went as far as throwing the gun at Dante, but he landed right in front of him.  "Who are you?"

            The man who was coming at him had blue eyes that were piercing him.  "I am the Angel of Death," he answered finally as he pulled the trigger.  Brian decided that it was time to end this.  All the men that he had brought with him were killed.  He took off running back to the waiting area of the airport.

            Eden didn't know what was happening.  Dante had been gone for more than fifteen minutes.  He took off after someone.  She sighed and stood up and took off to go look for him.  When she got outside, someone grabbed her and had a gun pressed up to the jugular of her neck.  "Scream and you die right now," said a voice in a harsh whisper.

            Dante walked around the hanger and saw other people who were shot died.  Obviously, the work of Brian and his men.  He went through and got some more bullets from one of the bodies and went after Brian.  

            "I've been wondering where you've been," said Brian as the lightning flashed again.  He was holding Eden in his arms.

            Dante's body tensed up as he lowered his gun.  "What is it that you want?" he asked Brian.

            "Nothing more, but your death.  I'm sick and tired of dealing with you, Dante.  I don't care about the damn rules.  This is personal," replied Brian.

            Dante's eyes narrowed dangerously.  Brian was a hypocrite who used the rules when it suited him, but discarded them when they didn't serve his personal gains.  "You were ordered not to kill me, weren't you?  You were the one who killed Skye Jones, but why?" he said in a harsh voice.

            "I don't know why.  I don't know why you can run on walls either.  I don't care either," said Brian with a sneer that showed a nasty gleam of madness in his eyes.  He pressed the gun against Eden's throat even more.

            "If you kill her, then I'll kill you.  This time, it's for real," warned Dante.

            "I don't care," he said.  Eden's eyes never showed any fear.  She trusted Dante, so she had no fear.  She trusted that he would keep his promise and bring her home.  Brian pulled the trigger at that moment and without a gasp from her, she fell limp in his arms.  Brian let her body dropped to the ground.  

            Dante fired his gun, but Brian came at him.  They started to battle each other through the hanger shooting each other left and right.  They continued battling at each other.  Brian hid in the shadows.  He was the second best Jack-of-All-Trades, so his skills almost matched Dante's.  They raced after each other's shadows.  Soon, Dante was out of bullets, and he had no choice but throw down his gun.  Brian knew that he was out of bullets and he smiled to himself again.  He was going to win this thing.  He put his gun away for a moment and said, "Come on, Dante.  You keep talking about honor.  Let's fight face to face," he said.

            Dante appeared behind him and did a roundhouse kick.  Brian was able to jump and avoid it.  He threw a punch, which Dante blocked.  Brian attempted to kick him, but Dante did something that defied gravity by jumping behind him.  Brian continued his fighting.  He had more martial arts skills than Dante.  It was obvious that he would be able to beat Dante in close hand-to-hand combat like this.  Dante never allowed anyone to get close enough to him.  He did some pressure points with his quick moves.  Dante was knocked off his feet and landed on his back.  There was some ringing in his skull.  

            "You've finally failed.  I warned you, Dante.  You should have known better.  Do you have any more to say?" he asked the notoriously quiet man because he didn't expect any thing more from him.

            Dante could feel the numbing from the pressure points.  He should have been able to block it, but he didn't have the training from a sensei in Japan that Brian had.  He felt the unfamiliar tingle through his veins once again.  It seemed to come alive in him.  His peripheral vision he could see a gun from one of the other fallen men.  He knew that one of the men who he had killed owned that gun.  There might still be some bullets left in it.  But, the gun was too far from his reach.  However, something over took him at that moment.  By his own strength of will and some power within him a single word escaped his lips: "Accio."  The tingle got stronger in his body and the gun came to him.  Brian's eyes widened in disbelieve the gun was more than six feet away from him.  How was it possible?  

            Dante was able to thrust his hips up and push his body off the ground.  He came up and Brian didn't have time to react because of his movements.  He shot him through the heart.  Brian clutched the hole in his chest as the blood spurted out of him.  He looked at Dante in disbelief.  Dante stepped aside as Brian sank to his knees and died.  He let him die.  He ran out to find Eden.  And found her on the ground.  Her blood created a puddle on the ground.  Her eyes were still opened.  She blinked as the a trickle of blood came down the side of her lips.  Dante came to her and gathered her up into his arms.  Dante pressed his hand against the wound, but it was futile attempt.  "There's nothing I can do," he whispered helplessly.

            Her breathing was ragged.  "I waited for you to come back to me," she gasped as she yanked at the necklace around her throat.  He tried to stop her from causing more strain against her throat, but she gave the slightest shake of her head.  She broke the chain and pressed it into his hand that was covered in her blood.  "Promise me…promise me to bring me home.  No matter what.  Don't give up.  Bring me home," she pleaded as she looked into his eyes.  "Please."

            Dante held her hand with her pendant in it.  Her body shuddered as she gave a sigh.  "I promise," he whispered.  He held her tightly as her life left her finally.  He took of his coat and wrapped her around her coat.  And he carried her out of the hanger, leaving all the bodies behind.  

            The rain came pouring down his shoulders, hiding his tears in the rain.  "Come home with your shield or on it," he whispered as he walked into the night more determined to find the truth at all costs.

AN: The mystery is really heating up here.  I know that there is something wrong with the time change between England and New England.  Sorry, if I did.  If I did, just assume it's on different days.  ^_~  I finally got some action in.  Hermione's going to talk to the Unspeakables about Project Lazarus.  I was planning on killing off Eden Martin and only keeping her for three parts.  You also got a chance to see Dante kill people and some action also.  I hope that Eden's death was as meaningful and as sad as I hoped.  And Dante just found out a little bit about his powers.  ^_~   And due to popular demand, I've also updated, Angel of Apocalypse.  See, I read the reviews.  I went away during the break, but I worked on the stories.  I'm going to need a number (mystery, I don't like to say what my limits are) of reviews before the next parts for either story goes up.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I own Eden Martin and all the other original characters.


	10. Flashback, Flash Forward

Living Memory

Chapter Ten: Flashback, Flash Forward

            The priest said some prayers over the grave that was freshly dig.  It took a few days before the funeral took place.  The only person who came to the funeral was a well dressed man who wore a pair olive green sunglasses.  The sky was still gray, but it let up after a few days.  The young woman who was buried was killed during a mugging in Boston.  Her companion was with her and brought her to the hospital.  She died by the blood loss.  Boston was on edge because of a massacre in the airplane hangers.  There were nearly forty bodies were found.  The priest didn't know that the man who was with him caused most of the damage in the hangers.  He didn't know that the man had taken the bullet out of the young woman who had died, so that there was no way of connecting the her to the deaths at the hanger.  

            "We come from dust and we return to dust," said the priest.  He noticed that the man was obviously well off, but there wasn't any headstone or anything else to mark the grave.  "She was an angel from Heaven, and now she has returned to there.  Let her have some rest now," he added.  

            "She won't have any rest now.  Later, I'll make sure that she gets some peace," said the man.  

            "Why don't you pay for her headstone?" asked the priest.  It was fairly obvious that he could afford to pay for one.

            "Her name isn't Eden Martin.  And I don't want the headstone to say that as her name, or to say that her name is unknown.  And I also promised I would bring her home.  This is just a temporary place for now," he answered.

            The priest nodded.  The young man with red hair and paralyzing blue eyes had a chip on his shoulder.  He was honorable, but he was also dangerous.  "Thank you very much for coming here on such short notice, Father," he said.

            "You're welcome, Mr. Dante," said the priest.  He left him alone after that.  Dante had something in his hand.  He took it out and held it in front of him.  It was the necklace that she wore around her neck before.  He had fixed the chain the night she died.  He had washed the necklace until the blood was gone.  He unclasped and put it on.  He placed his hand on top of her grave and closed his eyes as the breeze came over of him.  

*_ Three Days Ago*_

The news from Boston swept through the United States and went all over the world.  Draco and Harry read the news from Boston.  The news of more than thirty people being killed in the hanger.  Among the bodies were weapons, the Boston Police Department found that some of the bodies there weren't staff from the airport.  They had to be the men who killed the staff, but they were all died.  

            Harry found out that one of the men was one of the most hunted men in all of the Muggle underworld.  A Jack-of-All-Trades named Brian Hunt was found among the bodies.  There the guns were all over the place and different kinds of bullets were found everywhere.  There were no security cameras in the hangers.  The few that were outside were destroyed by the men who attack.  They looked at the pictures grimly.  There was something else.  According to the reports, there was another person who was shot at the scene, but the person was no where to be found.  The loss of blood from this person was too much.  The Boston police checked out hospitals for any usual injuries, but there were too many to report.  Except for one, a young woman between the ages of nineteen to twenty-five was brought to the hospital, but she was already died on the scene.  The person who brought her in claimed that they were victims of a mugging.  

            "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Harry to Draco.

            "I've always wanted to try their clam chowder.  I hear it's great," replied Draco thoughtfully.  They took their off wearing Muggle clothes to Boston.  Hermione came into work without saying much to Harry other than her usual morning greeting.  She didn't mind that Harry and Draco took off so quickly.  She went off to go talk to the Unspeakables.  The two men who knew some of the darkest secrets of the Ministry of Magic.  She came to the department and found them at their offices down the darkest corridor of the building.  She knocked at the door.

            "Enter," said one soft voice.  She walked in to find that the men weren't really as old as she imagined.  She had only seen them both once in passing.  It was during the World Quidditch Cup that she went to with Harry and the Weasleys when she was fourteen.  "Dr. Granger, what brings you to our part of the world?" asked Bode as he stood up to look at her.  Croaker used his wand to shut the door behind her, causing her to flinch slightly.

            "I was investigating the murder of Skye Jones," she said.

            "Ah, yes.  Nasty business, but the Aurors are the ones assigned to it.  It is not of our concern," said Bode.  They were more talkative that Hermione had imagined they would be.  Or rather, they knew how to talk just enough to let one think that they were saying anything important.  

            "Yes, I know.  I found out that the murderer was a Muggle, but more importantly, someone came to me with information.  This person told me to ask you about Project Lazarus," she said softly.

            The two men looked at each as if they were silently communicating with each other.  Croaker spoke up, "Let me guess.  Charles Jones told you to ask us because he can't talk about it?"

            Hermione nearly jumped from her skin as she nodded, "He told me about a man named Dante who used to be a wizard, but he refused to tell me more."

            "We can't tell you much about Project Lazarus because there really isn't much we know.  That is the truth, Dr. Granger.  If Charles Jones even mentioned the project at all, then they must be responsible for Skye Jones' murder," said Bode.

            "How?" asked Hermone calmly.

            "We have long investigated this group for more than ten years.  We had to halt investigations before because of You-Know-Who.  By the time, we returned to investigating them, they were much larger and more powerful than before," said Croaker as he tensed up.  Bode had arms propped up on his elbows with his finger tips touching each other.  

            "Project Lazarus is an operation we know very little about, but we do know that the project is being run by a group known as the Continuum," said Bode as he looked at Hermione.

            "What does Dante have to do with any of this?" she asked.  Her frustration was increasing by the minute towards the two men.  

            "We honestly don't know.  We do know that the Continuum is a group of men and women who also happen to be comprised of Muggles and wizards," said Croaker.  

            Hermione felt her blood go cold.  No wizards worked willing with Muggles for a single goal.  "What?" she asked, needing some clarification.

            "Make no mistake about this, Dr. Granger: the Continuum is very dangerous.  Charles Jones is suspected being a member of it for more than a decade," said Bode as his eyes narrowed.

            "Then, why did he tell me about any of it?" she asked.

            "That we don't know.  However, you would do best to stay out of it," warned Croaker as he lifted his wand and the door swung open.  Hermione took it as a sign that it was time for her to go.  She walked out of the room with more questions than ever.

*

            The bed and breakfast that Dante was staying at over looked the sea once again.  He was dressed in black slacks that he wore to the funeral.  He was wearing just his white tank top.  He looked out the window in silence.  He was alone once again and the only thing he had left of Eden was her necklace.  

            Dante had plans of returning to England, but wasn't about to leave American soil without knowing who hired Brian Hunt in the first place.  He had to know because he wanted to know who would kill Skye Jones.  He wanted to shoot himself for being so stupid.  Dante felt as if he deserved what happened because he made the mistake of leaving lose ends back in New York.  He should have killed the son of a bitch when he had the chance. 

            After Eden had died, he went back out into the rain and let the rain wash away the blood on him.  Dante took longer showers feeling like Lady MacBeth when she couldn't wash away the blood of King Duncan.  He felt forever soiled.  He had killed many men before, but this time it was different.  He felt dirty and unclean.  His guilty outweighed everything else, and it hung on the air like a pendulum.  Eden died because of him and his enemies.  He also knew that he was sought after by someone.  Possible by the person who hired Brian in the first place.  He remembered when he left the hospital, he had defied orders from the doctors who told him that the people who were paying for the hospital bills didn't want him to leave.  At first, foolishly, he thought that the people paying for the bills were his family, but they weren't.  He still left even after all the urging from the staff.

            Dante should have been suspicious then, but his head was too scrambled to pay attention to such details.  He should have looked into it, but he couldn't stay the hospital.  They were treating him like a case study and bring in psychology students to gawk at him and ask him questions.  He didn't like being a sideshow for a circus.  He had to get a new gun, but he would have to wait until he returned to England.  He kept the gun that he used to kill Brian Hunt a few nights ago.  He cleaned it and loaded it with fresh bullets.  He was taking a risk by carrying it.  The police were looking for anyone suspected of killing the people in the hanger.  The Americans had a justifiable considering it happened in an airport.  There were speculations that it was a terrorist attack, but something had gone horrible wrong.  The police were correct to assume that the man responsible for most of the deaths was dangerous.

            He did figure out which hotel that Brian was staying in, but the police had already raided it.  However, Dante knew that Lenore Henson would know where Brian's place was in New York City.  He called her.

"Hello?" asked her sultry voice came through on the other end of the line.

            "Lenore.  It's Dante," he answered.

            "Dante!  Words gotten down here about what happened in Boston.  Are you all right?" she asked with uncharacteristic concern for him.

            "I'm fine.  Brian's dead.  I need to know where his place was in New York before the cops there get to it," he said calmly.

            "You killed him, didn't you?" she asked him.

            "His place," he repeated, ignoring her question.  What he couldn't see was Lenore biting her bottom lip.  She didn't think she would ever hear of Dante killing anyone.  And she should have known better than to ask questions.  

            She finally gave Dante the address which he jotted down.  He got dressed and went to the airport after chucking the gun he had into the harbor.  He decided to take another flight back to New York.

*

            Harry and Draco asked questions from the police about what happened in the airport.  The police looked like they had nothing, but work several hours straight.  They decided after questioning the police, it was time to go and talk to the hospital staff.  Harry and Draco got the description of a man matching Ron's description and they even got a chance to get footage off the security camera.

            They say him bring in a bleeding woman in his arms.  She was already dead on arrival.  Ron had a tired look on his face, but his eyes remained soulless.  Harry watched the tape very carefully.  He watched as Ron sank down into a chair with blood all over him.  He was staring at his hands.  In one of them, he had something that was silver and covered in blood.  He looked strangely unemotional.  For Harry and Draco it was a strange thing, Ron was always so emotional.  His temper was quick, but the man they were watching held no emotion.  

            "Can't you see it, Potter?" asked Draco quietly, so no else could hear him.  

            "What?" asked Harry.

            "There is something there.  I've seen it.  I can see it because I've had it myself.  It's rage, Potter.  It's cold rage," answered Draco.  He looked at Harry who said nothing more.  They found out that the police were seeking him for questions as well.  The police report said that the girl was a victim of a mugging.  The man who reported it left the hospital before they could ask anymore questions.  It seemed that he only stayed until the girl was confirmed dead.  Harry didn't know why, but he had to see the girl's body in the morgue.  There was no identification on her.  

            Harry and Draco walked down to the morgue.  They walked down the cold corridors of the sublevels of the hospital to head for the basement where the bodies were found.  Draco had never seen a Muggle place like that before, nor did he ever hear of one.  Harry was more prepared than he was.  Draco looked around to find that there were a bunch of wide filing cabinets that were part of the walls.  

            "Where is she?" asked Draco.

            "Inside one of these," answered Harry without making any gestures.  A coroner came to talk to them.  "How can I help you, gentlemen?"

            "We would like to see Eden Martin," said Harry.  The doctor went over to one of the drawers, and much to Draco's shock, he pulled it open to reveal Eden Martin's body.  Draco looked away from the body.  Harry stepped up and looked at the body.  It struck him to realize how young she really was.  There was a cleaned bullet wound on the side of her neck.  Her sick was pale as proof that she had been dead for days.  

            "There was no identification on her.  The man who brought her here also paid in cash, even though there was nothing they could do and she was already dead.  She was so young," said the doctor regrettably.

            Draco turned around to look at the body finally.  "With different hair color and texture, she could look like Ginny Weasley," he stated in a hoarse voice.  Harry turned and looked at the body again.  There was no denying it.  She was about the same age as Ginny Weasley.  It made Harry shudder.  That might have explained why Ron was so broken up over the death of this girl.

            "What is her name?  I don't think Eden Martin was her name" asked the doctor.

            "We don't know for sure," answered Harry.  The doctor pulled the sheet over her and closed the drawer.  Draco had never been so disgusted by Muggles in his whole life.  He felt sick to his stomach.  How could they just shove people in drawers like that?  

            "Let's go," said Harry.  They finally left the hospital and found out that Dante was stayed at a hotel suite with Ms. Martin.  They investigated the hotel and found that they didn't stay long at the hotel and checked out the day of the shooting.  After that they found out that the body of Eden Martin was gathered by a mortuary.  The police still couldn't find Dante, but they didn't have the resources that Harry and Draco did.  They didn't have truth serums and spells to get information out of people.  They decided to return to England and gathered up the information for the report to Percy.

            Harry went to Hermione's office and to his surprise she wasn't there.  He looked around to find out where she went, but someone said that she had a meeting at the Ministry's head offices.  Draco and Harry told Percy what they found in Boston.  "I think it's time we bring in some Hit Men from the Ministry," he said.

            "We can handle this.  We're Aurors.  We've seen worse," said Harry.  

            "I just think of how many people have died in and around Dante," said Percy with a sigh.  

            Draco and Harry didn't look at each other.  "Any idea how this person looks like?  Are there any Muggle photographs of him?" asked Percy.

            "None," lied Harry immediately.  Draco didn't even shake his head.  

            "We have to find him," said Percy with an angry tone.

            "What do we do?  He's a Muggle," said Harry.

            "Hermione found out that he was a wizard.  A disgraced one," Percy informed him.  His voice sounded cold and harsh.  He didn't like the thought of anyone who was once a wizard doing things like the Muggles did.  Harry noticeably shifted uncomfortably in front of him.  

            "We'll find him soon," promised Draco because he knew that Harry wasn't going to say anything.  Harry didn't trust himself enough to talk at this point.

            "I want you to bring this Dante to me.  Since he used to be a wizard, he will face us first before we leave him to the Muggles' justice," said Percy.  

            "Yes, sir," they said together.  

            "You're dismissed," he said.  Both of them stood up and left as if they couldn't do it fast enough.  Percy suspected that they were hiding something from him.  He decided that he had no choice, but to investigate the matter himself.

*

            Dante had reserved a round trip ticket back to Boston so that he could go to the burial of Eden Martin.  He only needed a few hours to look at Brian's apartment.  It wasn't unusual that someone would have a round trip ticket for only a few hours.  To the untrained eye, Dante looked like a typical businessman.   He broke into Brian's penthouse using his lock pick kit.  When he first got it, he found that he knew how to use it without using the directions.

            Dante wasn't too surprise to know that Brian had a permanent place.  His place looked like the ultimate bachelor's pad.  His apartment didn't have the old Victorian elegancy that Lenore's apartment had.  Rather, it was ultra modern.  It had a pool table, a bar, and a computer system in the living room.  His place was decorated in black and silver.  Dante looked around to the pool table and noticed that there was a switch underneath.  He pressed it and found a cache of weapons in a hidden compartment behind the rack of pool cues.  

            Each weapon was clean and shiny.  There were bullets in drawers organized by type.  The weapons ranged from small daggers and guns to machine guns.  Dante knew that the gun with a silencer was the weapon used to kill Skye Jones.  That was more than enough for the police to find.  So, Dante wiped his finger prints off the switch, but carefully left the cache of weapons open.  He went to the computer and set to work hacking into it.  Brian's password was "eliminator."  Dante knew Brian rather well.  He found all the careful records of Brian's bank account.  Dante was careful never to keep records of his Swiss Bank account where people could easily find it.  He only had a good idea of how much money he had.  All, Dante had to do was look at the last records of money transfer to figure out who paid him.  Not to Dante's surprise, the money was wired from another Swiss Bank account.  There was no real name.  At least Brian was smart enough not to put real names, but the account number was there in the transfer.  Actually, that was all the Swiss Banks cared about: numbers.  Dante jotted down the number on a piece of paper which he took of a pad so that the indentation wouldn't even show.  He cleaned everything up and put almost everything back to the way it was in the computer, but he didn't log off the computer.  The police would have easy access to Brian's records that way.  

            Dante decided it was time to go back to Boston because he didn't want to be late for Eden.  He took the flight back to Boston and checked into another place.  He was used to be moving to place after place.  He wasn't foolish enough to settle down anywhere too long.  He looked into the records.  The person's accounts placed them in England, which was the place where Dante was headed.  It didn't take him long to learn about computers.  Anything out of necessity, he learned to do quickly.  Being a Jack-of-All-Trades meant that he could be able to do almost anything required for his work.  If Dante wasn't sent to kill someone, he was sent to retrieve something.  Most of the time, it was information on files and disks.  Dante learned something about the world.  Knowledge was the ultimate power.  

            Harry and Draco returned to Boston at the same time.  They decided that if Dante was there, they should be there as well.  They got rooms at the wizards' enclave in Boston.  Harry and Draco paid for their own rooms instead of the Aurors fitting the bill for them.  Draco did it out of sheer pride, while Harry did it because he didn't want to be held responsible for something else in case they got caught.  "Eden Martin's body was picked up to be buried," said Harry to Draco later on during tea time.  

            "That was quick.  I know that even in the Muggle world, if someone is on government assistance, it usually takes a while for anything to happen," said Draco.

            "That's exactly it.  Someone is paying for all this.  And I think we both know who it is," said Harry.  Draco nodded.  "When is she getting buried?"

            "Tomorrow morning.  He'll be there," said Harry with certainty.  

            "Then we'll be there as well," said Draco.

*_Present*_

            Harry and Draco came to the place where Eden Martin was buried.  To Harry surprise, Eden Martin was buried on Muggle holy ground in a Catholic cemetery.  Draco and Harry watched from a good distance away.  They both had cloaks of invisibility to conceal themselves.  They watched Dante talking to the priest.  

            Both found the whole conversation as strange as the priest found it.  The priest left him after he was thanked for his services.  Dante leaned over the grave and placed his hand on top of it.  The breeze came and blew at his hair.  Harry and Draco stayed where they were.  Harry pulled off his cloak soon enough and nodded at Draco to do the same.  Draco pulled off his cloak.  

            "What are you doing here?" asked Dante without moving or turning around to look around him.  

            Harry seemed to freeze at his spot.  He and Draco looked at each other.  "It's very rare that anyone can sneak up on me like that," said Dante in a very clear voice, still without turning around.  He had no weapons on him, so he decided not be threatening.

            Draco waved at Harry to come forward with him.  They were both surprise because they thought they were far enough not to be heard by Dante.  They walked forward until they came just within ten feet of Dante.  He stood up and turned to face them.  He looked at them through his olive green lens.  

            "Do I know you?" he asked them calmly.  Harry realized that there was no recognition on his voice.  Dante took of his sunglasses.  

            "Yes," said Harry.  

            "Well, then," said Dante.  The breeze came again.  Harry and Dante looked at each other.  There was something strange about Dante.  He was Ron, but there was something wrong with him.  He didn't seem to recognize Harry at all. 

            Finally, Draco broke the silence, "You're under arrest."

AN: I'm far too lazy to upload stuff during the break.  Sorry, I can't stand the connection at home.  I've had a good day.  I got an A in psychology.  Woohoo for me.  Anyway, I left another wonderful cliffhanger here, didn't I?  After reading the last part, do you think Dante/Ron will come peacefully?  The odds are against him here, but do you think that will stop him?  I also got around to making Fred and George sprites for my website, but they're not up for adoption.  They were gifts to someone.  I'll be making ones up for adoption soon.  I am currently working on a rant section for my website.  An interesting article about how not to write fanfiction.  I decided to do this part differently because I wanted to show the steps leading up to this part, but in a different way.  I don't care if there are any complaints about how this part was written.  'Cause guess what?  I'll be doing the next part the way I did the first chapter.  Look forward to Chapter Eleven: Harry.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  He and all the characters belongs to J.K. Rowling.  I own nothing, except for this story and the original characters in this story.  Use with permission.  ^_~


	11. Harry

Living Memory

Chapter Eleven: Harry

            "You're under arrest," Malfoy said to Ron.  I whirled around to look at him.  His eyes were steady as he glared back at Ron.  Ron's face remained impassive as he looked back at him.  Both of them remained rooted in their spots.  "Malfoy, shut up!" I shouted.

            "I don't even know who you are," said Ron quietly.  

            "You don't know, do you?" I asked him.  He shook his head.  I could see his eyes.  They were clear and resolute.  I looked at him and my eyes traveled down to study him.  He was as tall as ever, but his presence was more pronounced.  There was a darkness that made my stomach freeze over.  I noticed that he had his hands in his pocket.  "I don't have any weapons on me.  Neither does he.  Don't draw," I said.  Actually, we were armed with wands which were more powerful than any weapons the Muggles had.

            "I don't have any weapons on me either," he said as he took his hands out of his pockets.  I noticed his left hand immediately.  I could see the gold ban that Ginny handed to Hermione on the day she married Ron.  "Your wife's been wondering where you've been," I said quietly as he pointed to his left hand.

            He pulled his hand back into his pocket.  He narrowed his eyes at me.  I swallow as Draco stepped forward.  "Who are you?" he asked.

            "My name is Draco Malfoy and that's Harry Potter," answered Draco with a wave at me.  "And you're under arrest," he repeated.

            Ron's mouth twisted into a smirk.  "For what?  And what agency are you from?" he asked.

            "Murder in the first degree.  We're from another agency in England," said Draco.

            "I did not kill Skye Jones," said Ron clearly.  Malfoy looked at him with a raise eyebrow.  I kept my eyes on Ron.  "He's telling the truth," I said out loud.

            "How did you know we were talking about her?" asked Malfoy.

            "You said that you were from England.  I assumed you were sent from there," said Dante.  

            "You knew Eden Martin.  Did you kill her?" asked Malfoy.  I threw a look of daggers at him.  How could he accuse him of killing her?

            "She didn't die of my hands, but I still killed her," replied Dante with unflinching honest.  His bangs covered one of his eyes.  They were clear and showed no threat to myself nor Malfoy.  Just the same, I wanted to rip Malfoy's vocal cords out of his neck for accusing him of anything.  Suddenly, I felt an unpleasant jolt in my stomach.  His eyes held the same look that Sirius' held after being in Azkaban for twelve years.  It was a deadened look that made me reach my hand towards him.  He stepped back away from me, carefully so he didn't tread on the fresh grave.  

            "How did she die?" asked Malfoy in a brisk, businesslike voice.  It snapped me to attention.  Malfoy was being a professional, while I was being stupid.  

            Dante remained silent.  He didn't say anything.  "Neither of you have any proof of what I did.  Or did not do.  So, I do not think it would be wise of me to provide you with anything," he said coldly.  

            "Stop!  You're coming with us," I said in a firm voice.  Malfoy looked at me with a raised eyebrow.  Dante didn't look like he was about to do anything we said.  His hand came out of his pocket, not with a weapon, but something else.  He dropped it on the ground calmly.  A pop came followed quickly by some smoke.  Malfoy and I coughed furiously and waved our arms about.  I muttered a spell to quickly clear the air, and Malfoy did the same.  

            When the smoke finally cleared, Dante was had vanished again.  "I don't believe this!" muttered Malfoy angrily.  He grabbed me by my coat at that moment with anger flashing in his eyes.  "Why the Hell didn't you tell him who you were?!" he demanded.  

            Why didn't I tell him?  My name was the most well known name in the wizarding world.  I shook myself free from Malfoy's grasp.  "Because he doesn't know who I am.  That's why he never came back," I said.

            "He hated you.  If he had his memories, he would hate you still.  He wouldn't trust you, even if you were on our side, Malfoy.  He didn't recognize either of us," I continued as calmly as possible.  

            "He got away.  We have to bring him in, so we can end this," he said.

            "It's not over.  It's far from over.  Something in the world has gone horrible wrong.  Something none of us ever paid any attention to," I whispered.

            "What about him?" asked Draco.  He looked around for a trail, but there was none.  Dante was careful not to leave on behind.  

            "He's been living as a Muggle.  That's the mistake we've been making all this time.  We've been assuming that he still acts like a wizard.  We look for him like he's a Muggle," I said carefully.  The gears were working in my mind.  I needed some advice on this matter.  

            "Well, how do we do that?  You're the one whose lived as a Muggle for several years," sneered Malfoy out of frustration.  He didn't like losing in anything, even in something like this.  He was still like the old Malfoy in that way, but this time, it was working to my advantage.  

            "We go back to England," I said.  Simply with a nod, we both apparated back to the Portkey that led back to the Aurors' office.

*

            I went back to look at Hermione's office upon our return.  Malfoy decided that he needed some rest, so he went to go hand in our report, which was full of lies, to Percy before he left to go back to his flat to get some sleep.  Hermione looked up from her work and told me to close her door.  She seemed a little excited and frustrated at something.  

            "What's wrong?" I asked her guilty.

            "I didn't tell you this, but I got a visit from Charles Jones the other night," said Hermione.  "I didn't tell Percy about it right away."

            "Yes, Percy said that Dante was a disgraced wizard," I said as I carefully took a seat in the chair in front of her desk.  "What else did he tell you?"

            "He told me about something called Project Lazarus.  He also said that he was the one responsible for the death of his daughter.  He told me to go and talk to the Unspeakables, Harry.  And they didn't know much about it.  Don't you think that's strange, Harry?  I mean the Unspeakables know everything that's going on," said Hermione in a thoughtful voice.

            Something clicked in my brain as I sat there.  The Unspeakables would only know what was going on in the wizarding world, not the Muggle world.  "What if Project Lazarus spans further than the wizarding world?" I asked suddenly.

            "What do you mean, Harry?  Into the Muggle world.  Ron's father always says that the Muggles go out of their way not to pay attention to such strange things.  Unless faced with it directly like my parents.  I find that it's true.  I mean when I went to go see my mother with Tyler, and he accidentally did some levitating with the coffee cups while my mum's women's group was over, they ignored it.  It was too strange for them to think it was anything at all," said Hermione.  Incidents like the one Hermione described was typical among wizards and witches' children and any children with magic in them despite being born to Muggle parents, like Hermione.  They were indicators of magic.  

            "What if there were some Muggles who paid attention to wizards without anyone knowing it on either side?," I asked her again.

            "You mean to tell me that Project Lazarus might have something to do with Muggles _and_ wizards?" asked Hermione in utter disbelief.

            I nodded slowly as I thought about it.  Charles Jones told her to look into it.  "What was Charles Jones doing before he was noticed in Ministry and the _Daily Prophet_?" I asked eagerly.  If he suddenly said that he was responsible for what happened to his daughter, then he must have known about Project Lazarus.  It was more likely that he was a member of it.

            Hermione went through her records.  She had files on all the people involved in the Skye Jones murder.  "He was head of the department for Muggle Relations," answered Hermione as she sank down into her chair.  "He would have encountered more Muggles than most pure bloods," she whispered grimly.

            "And his daughter was a squib.  What a horrible blotch on the family record that must be," I said grimly.

            "No, Charles Jones isn't like some of the pure bloods out there. He's more like Ron's father.  I believe he was heartbroken by his daughter's death, and I think he was also heartbroken that his daughter didn't have any magic in him.  Notice, that her brother just started in Hogwarts?  He's only eleven years old.  That's quite a bit of space.  And only two children.  I think Charles Jones probably blames himself for his daughter's lack of magic.  It's like a birth defect among wizards," said Hermione.  

            "Then what's Project Lazarus about?" I asked her.

            "I don't know.  But, I think you might be right about Muggles being involved.  However, I can't see why," said Hermione with a sigh.  

            "Hermione, what if Project Lazarus has something to do with Ron's disappearance?" I finally asked.  Everything was slipping into place like a puzzle that I've spent more than two years staring at.  She looked at me as if I had said something important.

            "No wonder he came to me," she murmured.  I didn't have to ask who she was talking about.  Charles Jones held the key to this entire mystery.  "He came to me.  He was also quick to tell me about Dante not being the one who kill his daughter.  What did you find out about Dante?" she asked.

            I felt my stomach do nervous flip flops.  I couldn't lie to her in her office with the door closed I had no way of escape and there was a no apparating rule in the offices and there was a barrier to prevent me from doing so.  "We did," I said simply.

            "And you're not going to tell me because Percy told you so," she said as she raised an eyebrow at me.

            "No," I answered.

            "Then, tell me what you found out," said Hermione eagerly with a smile.

            "I can't," I told her truthfully.  "Please don't make me lie to you, Hermione."

            "As if you weren't doing that before," she muttered under her breath, but she made herself loud enough to be heard.  

            "What do you mean?" I asked, taking a risk.

            "You've been lying to me the whole time.  You were the one who recommended to Percy to make me work on the other angle of this case.  Why?" she asked as she stood up suddenly.  

            "I was only trying to protect you," I answered in a shaky voice.  I can't stand to see her mad at me like this.  I hated lying to her the whole time.  "How did you know?" I added in a whisper.

            "You avoided me and whenever Percy gave his orders, you didn't look at me.  You usually do, but you made the recommendations.  And Draco also did what you told him to do.  What are you protecting me for?" she said simply.

            Damn, I should have known that she would have noticed.  I always underestimated her in that area.  Of course, it's her job.  I sighed and stood up.  "I can't say right now, Hermione.  Please believe me.  I only did what I did for your own good," I pleaded with her.

            "I can handle it.  I've been without my husband for more than two years.  I've had to fight to get to my position here.  I've had to endured being judged just because I'm a woman and Muggle born.  I've endured walking around with my son and having people whisper behind my back saying that my husband abandoned us," she gestured with her hands as she said all this.  

            "I'm going," I said simply, but she grabbed a hold of my arm.  

            "You're not leaving.  You're hiding something.  And Percy and everyone else here doesn't know about it.  I didn't think I'd see the day where you'd trust Draco Malfoy over me," she said sadly.  Her eyes were filing with tears.  

            "Don't do this to me, Hermione," I pleaded.  

            "I feel like you're never here anymore.  You're always out looking for Dante.  It seems like your more obsessed with him than I was," said Hermione.  I sigh again and lock my arms around her, cradling her in my arms.  "Everything I'm doing, I'm doing for you and Ty," I whispered softly as I held her.

            Hermione snuggled into my arms.  I can smell her honey shampoo that she used along with the wizards' hair products she used to keep her hair neat.  All the time, I spent watching Ron and Hermione together made me think of the future as well.  I pulled away from her abruptly.  As much as I loved Hermione as a friend, I knew that she loved Ron more.

            "Hermione, there is something you can do for me," I said suddenly, trying to cover up why I stopped hugging her so quickly.

            "What?" asked Hermione as her eyes sparkled again.

            "I need you to find out about Eden Martin.  She was the girl who was with Dante.  She was murdered by someone, but we don't have a clue as to who she really is.  Eden Martin isn't her real name.  We think that her murder has something to do with Skye Jones'," I said.

            "This thing is getting bigger and bigger.  And yet, everything connects.  Charles Jones knows something about what's happening.  And now Eden Martin, or whoever she is, is now involved.  The world is a lot scarier than I thought," murmured Hermione.

            "Will you help me?" I asked her.

            "Yes, it gives me something to do.  And you might tell me more about Dante if I search for clues about Eden Martin.  Was she a Muggle?" she asked.

            I thought about it.  I wasn't really sure if she was.  "I don't know.  I think you should start in Boston.  That's the last place she was alive," I answered.

            We talked longer about other things.  I asked about my godson.  I remembered being Hermione's coach during the entire pregnancy and the labor.  I was the one who got yelled at during the contractions, and I remembered thinking about all the fun that Ron got to miss.  I was the first person to hold Tyler when he was born.  I felt like a father that night when I held my godson.  Sirius acted like a proud grandfather when Tyler was born.  Tyler keeps asking him to change into the big dog, so Sirius does for him.  I can imagine that Sirius did that with me when I was a child before my parents died, and he got sent away to prison.

            Sometimes, when I go out with Hermione and Tyler, people ask us if we're a family.  Some people think that Hermione is my wife and that Tyler is my son.  I know better than to allow myself to feel that way.  I don't have a wife or a son.  I am just here to hold Ron's place until he returns.  Ron is my best friend, and I won't take his life away from him in his absence.

            Nothing can stand still for Ron, but that doesn't mean I will ever give up on him.  And I promised myself to bring him home.  The question is if there is anything left of him underneath the man he has become. 

            Hermione and I parted again for the day.  She's excited to get to work on the investigation.  As long as she's looking for Eden Martin's true identity, then I can keep looking for Ron without her being so upset at me.  

            "Potter," said Malfoy as he saw me emerge from Hermione's office.

            "What, Malfoy?" I said in a very irritated tone.  He was really starting to get on my nerves.  Regardless of how smart he is now, I still can't stand him.  How am I supposed to see him as anything but an enemy after all the years we spent hating each other?  I do have to give him some credit because he was the one who found Ron.  

            "What did you tell her?" asked Malfoy as he raised his brow at me.

            "Nothing about Dante really.  I asked her to look for Eden Martin," I replied as I took a seat at my desk, across from his.

            "That's good thinking," he said back musingly.

            We glare at each other.  This was really getting tedious.  We glare at each other almost every time we see each other.  I can't stand this much longer.  He even tried to arrest Ron today.  "You were out of line," I muttered out loud.

            "What?" he asked me looking at me like had my head cut off.

            "You tried to arrest him," I whispered because I didn't want anyone else to know who we were talking about.

            "You're the one who isn't on the line.  Listen to yourself.  Look at yourself.  He's a fucking murderer, and you're the one who could have gotten killed.  You're lucky he was unarmed.  He could have killed us without a second thought," said Malfoy in an icy tone.  "You're lucky I'm backing you up."

            "I don't need your protection.  I can protect myself, Malfoy," I hissed through my teeth.  

            "Are you sure of that?  Because you're not acting like an Auror, Potter.  You're too close to this case.  And if you don't keep your focus, I'll report your behavior to Chief Weasley," he warned me.  

            I clutched my jaw and stood up.  I need to get out of there before I either punched or hexed Malfoy.  Damn him.  Damn him for making sense and being right.  I won't admit it.  Not to anyone.  I refuse to give him that satisfaction.  I go to the only place where I can safely work out my aggressions.  I've been going to the Quidditch field all the time…

            I have my old Firebolt still, but I tend to buy new broomsticks from time to time.  However, I tend to take my old, reliable Firebolt out whenever I go off by myself.  I play Quidditch during the weekends.  I plan on teaching Tyler how to play, and I like taking him to games with Hermione.  He's too young to really understand the game.  I don't think it's too early for him to be a fan.  

            I fly around for a while.  At first, I released a golden snitch to find.  I find quickly and drop it off again.  I was offered to play for England, but I chose not to because the Death Eaters were out there.  And I really didn't care for that kind of attention.

There is hope.  Hope that I live by.  I never give up easily.  I've spent my whole life surviving and kept myself going.  I lost my parents before I could even remember them.  I had to stay with people who never loved me and only tolerated my presence.  I've had to deal with people staring and gawking at me because I'm supposed to be special.  I am afraid not to being able to live up to people's expectations.  Ron and I had more in common than either of us ever realized.  

            My hope is there because I could see him still standing over the grave of Eden Martin.  He is not completely loss because somewhere within him remains the compassion that I have seen more than once.  Ron is resilient and resourceful.  I know that he is looking for who he is.  I have not lost my best friend.  If I do, then I'll lose my hope.

AN: I hope this part wasn't confusing for anyone unlike the first chapter.  The response to this fic has been overwhelming.  And I've been getting questions about how to write fics for a while now.  I couldn't give a good explanation until now.  However, I've written a whole thing about Fanfiction in my website under the about section in the rants section.  I've also did some thing about beta readers, and if you think you can be a beta reader for me then you'd better read that part.  And it's good for people who keep suggesting it.  You can look at it if you want.  I'd like it if people would visit my website.  Please?  http://www.dreamwater.net/dreamforest.  And sign the guest book, pretty please?  You can also see all the Harry Potter graphics I made in the Harry Potter section.  I may not upload this fic on my website.  My roommate whose going to be a teacher tutored a class where the kids were reading Harry Potter books, they were seven.  This fic is rated R, I'll probably just leave the fic in Fanfiction.net and link back from my site, so I can keep my site PG-13.  Less uploading for me.  Incidentally, in the official Harry Potter page I got into Gryfinndor.  I really wanted to get into Ravenclaw, but apparently I have some very Hermione-like tendencies.  If you read the rants section, that's probably true.  I repeat I am not a know-it-all.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I have no money.  I'm just a poor college student on scholarships and one loan.  ^_~


	12. Proof of Life

Living Memory

Chapter Twelve: Proof of Life

            "Lumos.  Accio.  Alohomora.  Nox.  Stupefy.  Obliviate.  Avada Ked—" muttered Dante in his restless sleep.  He woke with a start, not remembering the words he was saying in his sleep just before he woke up.  He felt strange like his body was tingling from some unknown source.  He started down at his hands and remembered how he got his gun to come to him by his own will.  He had brought his gun to him by some other power.

            Dante's thoughts started to wander around.  He thought of the facts that were recently presented to him.  There was the dorm of Skye Jones and the strange note from her parents.  There were owls flying around in board daylight.  He saw them.  Dante was sure that owls were nocturnal. However, sometimes he saw owls that were not native to certain areas.  Now that he thought about it, he was always spotting things that most people either ignored or didn't notice.  There were occasions when he saw people in strange clothes like robes and cloaks walking around.  They always disappeared when he tried harder to see them.  

            Back in New York, he saw people disappear into a wall.  He tried ignoring it, but now he could not ignore much longer.  There was Eden.  If he had the power to save her, then he should have.  What if he did, but he didn't know how?  He took with him the sheets of paper that he and Eden wrote on.  He thought hard and added the last words he had muttered just before he woke up.  "Avada Kedavra," he whispered as he wrote down the words.  

            Dante didn't like being in control.  He was always conscious of the fact that he had the illusion of control.  He didn't know anything about his past.  That was the thing that control his very existence.  He thought back to the two men at the cemetery.  One of them seemed to know him rather well, the other acted like every single policeman or solider that Dante ever encountered.  Yet, Dante felt something when he saw both of them.  Something in him told him that they were familiar to him.  Part of him told him not to trust the one who attempted to arrest him.

            Finally, Dante sat up fully because the sunlight was seeping into the room through the curtains of the motel he was staying at.  He was back in England.  Back to the beginning of his journey.  His life was perpetually in circles.

*

            Dr. Granger stumbled upon more disturbing information about Eden Martin.  She could only trace her back to the home that Eden was last in.  Other than that there was nothing else.  It was as if Eden Martin had only existed for about three years.  Hermione soon realized that her theory of Eden Martin possibly being a witch would be correct.  She would have to dig deeper than Muggle records for that.  Harry had obtained for her some pictures of the body of Eden Martin.  

            Hermione was used to looking at dead bodies, but the photographs of Eden Martin made her shudder.  She looked like Ginny Weasley's doppelganger.  Hermione looked at her and decided that her age was Ginny's.  She looked through Muggle records, and found that Eden Martin was at a hospital in Boston.  

            Eden Martin was an amnesiac without any memories of her past life for the prior to an unknown accident.  Hermione noticed the name of the insurance company that was paying for it, Life Enterprises.  She thought that it was strange because Eden Martin sounded like she should have been under government assistance, and yet, someone was paying for her hospital care and subsequent group home care.  Eden left the home despite urging from her doctors.  Hermione went to her parents place to use their telephone and began to call the insurance company.  The machine was automated.  

            "What are you doing, Hermione?" asked Hermione's mother.  Her father was also at home.  They were both happy to see their daughter, but she was using their phone for work.  

            "I'm fine," said Hermione.

            "What are you investigating?  Can you tell us?" asked her father.

            "A girl's murder," said Hermione.

            "That college girl?" asked her mother.

            "No, someone else.  Mum.  Dad.  Have you ever heard of Life Enterprises?" asked Hermione.

            Her parents looked at each other.  They were dentists so they had heard of insurance companies, but not really in England.  "Probably, American," said her father thoughtfully.

            "I think we can look into it, Hermione.  We know some people America who might know," offered her mother.

            "Thank you so much," said Hermione with a smile.  Her parents were worried about her over working herself.  Ron always made sure that she didn't work too hard.  During Hermione entire pregnancy, they worried about her losing the baby.  They were happy with their little grandson, and they immediately noticed how much Tyler looked like his father.  

            "Where's Tyler today?" asked her mother.

            "He's with his grandmother, Molly," answered Hermione.  "I should have brought him with me, but I don't think anyone I talk to over the phone would think I was professional, if there was a child calling for me in the background."

            "He's growing up so fast.  And he's a bundle of energy.  We could have taken time away from the office to be with him while you worked," said her father with a laugh.  One afternoon with Tyler made him feel younger.

            "That he is.  He keeps giving his uncles and aunt a hard time.  Well, Ginny.  He gives Ginny a hard time.  He adores all of his uncles.  He can't get enough of them," Hermione sighed before she continued, "but it's not like having Ron around.   Each of them have their own families to attend to.  And work.  Percy's working himself too hard.  Mrs. Weasley's worried about him and so is Penelope."

            "At least Tyler has Harry," commented Mrs. Granger.

            "It's not the same thing, love," said Mr. Granger to his wife as he shook his head.  "Tyler deserves to have his father here.  We all deserve to know what happened to Ron."  Mr. Granger said it more harshly than he had intended to.  He quickly cleared his throat when he noticed that his daughter's shoulders had stiffened.  

            "It's all right.  You're right, Dad," said Hermione quietly.  Her father looked back at her mother.  "I have to go home.  I'll call you when you find out about the insurance company.  Hmm…wait a minute," she said as she suddenly snapped her fingers.

            "What?" asked her father, relieved that she no longer seemed upset at him.  Hermione looked at both of them.  "I should have realized it.  What if Eden Martin was a witch, not a Muggle?" she asked out loud.  

            Her parents looked at her strangely.  They really didn't have many details on the case she was working on, but they were happy to see that she happy.  "Then, that means that you'll have to look through the wizarding world," said her mother proudly.  She was always happy when Hermione figured things out.

            "Do you still want me to look into the insurance company?  It wouldn't be much trouble," said her father, renewing his offer.  He wanted to do whatever he could to help his daughter.

            "Yes, you should look into it.  I have a feeling this whole thing is connected," said Hermione as she kissed her parents goodbye.  "Thanks.  I'll have to see if the Burrow is still standing.  Tyler's there," 

*

            The laughter of a small child could be heard from outside the house along with the sound of crashing.  "Tyler!" called out Mrs. Weasley.  She remembered thinking when all her children had grown up how lonely the house would be.  Ginny was still living at home while she worked for a firm that specialized in plants for Herbology purposes.  Tyler had chosen to be difficult.  He was giggling as he drove his grandmother to madness and exhaustion.  Mrs. Weasley knew that each of the Weasley boys were difficult like that.  He was acting a lot like Ron did when he was younger.  _I am getting too old for this.  At least, I had some energy to chase Ron_, thought Mrs. Weasley.  And she also had backup from the other boys.  

            The clock in the house changed the hand on the clock that said that Mr. Weasley was at work to traveling.  Finally, it turned to home.  "Molly, dear!" he called out.  His wife usually greeted him.  However, hearing the sounds of giggling followed by "You can't catch me" and "Come back here this instant.  Wait, till your mother finds out," told him why she hadn't come to greet him.  He smiled to himself.  And decided to help.  When Tyler ran to him, "Grandpa!" he cried out.  Mr. Weasley caught him in his arms.  

            "Hello Tyler," said Mr. Weasley as he ruffled his youngest grandson's hair affectionately.  Mrs. Weasley smiled wryly.  "Where's Hermione?"

            "Mummy went to Nana and Papa's without Tyler!" declared Tyler painfully.  

            "She said she had business for the Ministry that required the use of a telephone, so she went to her parents to use theirs," explained Mrs. Weasley further.

            "I want Mummy!" cried Tyler.  "And I wanted to see Nana and Papa!"

            "What?  And you didn't want to see me and Grandma?" asked Mr. Weasley.

            Tyler looked like he thought about it.  Nana's house was always so nice and neat.  And his mother always stopped him from doing any kind of magic in the house, saying that his grandparents didn't know any magic.  How could they learn if he didn't show them?  He liked seeing his Papa.  And his Nana looked like his Mummy.  "I want to see them.  I don't get to see them.  I see you all the time," said Tyler.

            "What?  We're boring?" asked Mr. Weasley.  Tyler nodded his head.  Mrs. Wealsey started laughing.  Mr. Weasley kept the look of mock horror on his face.

            There came a knock at the door, if it were Hermione, she would have gone through the fire place like she normally did.  Mrs. Weasley opened the door to find Harry Potter with Sirius Black.  It took her a while to get use to him.  He was Harry's godfather, and one of Tyler's favorite people.

            "Padfoot!" cried out Tyler gleefully.  Sirius smiled as Mr. Weasley handed him over to his waiting arms.  Harry didn't say anything to Sirius about finding Ron.  He wasn't sure if he could stand being around the Weasleys, especially Tyler.  He didn't know if he could lie to everyone there.  Ginny came into the room unnoticed.  "Well, hello to everyone," she said as she smiled.  

            "Hi Auntie Ginny," said Tyler as he smiled at her innocently.  She didn't believe that smile for a second, maybe for a nanosecond.  She still kissed his chubby cheeky and he kissed her as well.  She smiled and said hello to Harry and Sirius. 

            "Well, I'm glad everyone's here," said Hermione as she walked in taking off her coat.  She was dressed in Muggle clothes because she had apparated into the kitchen from her parents' house.  "Mummy!" called out Tyler happily.  

            "Hi Baby," said Hermione softly as she gathered him up from Sirius.  "Your Nana and Papa say hi and you can visit them again soon."  Tyler's eyes lit up.  

            "He wore out his grandmother here," said Mr. Weasley.  Hermione smiled mildly as Tyler snuggled up to her closer.  They always knew what Tyler did when he was at the Burrow.  "I wanna see the doggy," he said.

            Sirius smiled as he took back Tyler.  "Let's see," he said as he walked off with him.  Tyler was giggling.  Hermione and Harry took that as a time to talk.  "Did you find anything?" asked Harry.

            "I found that there wasn't any information on Eden Martin beyond some hospital records.  Harry, she has amnesia.  Or she had amnesia.  The records from the neurologists and psychologists said it was severe.  The only things that Eden Martin knew how to do were procedures.  She knew how to drive a car, ride a bike, and how to dress.  Things like that, but she had no information on herself.  No personality information and no memories of any personal events.  However, she had no trouble forming new memories," reported Hermione.

            Harry processed the information that she gave him slowly.  How was it possible for Ron to be suffering from the same memory loss?  He had trained himself to be a professional hit man, a Jack-of-All-Trades.  "What do you think happened?" asked Harry, for lack of having anything to really say.

            "I think that Eden Martin may have had magic like Dante.  Percy said that he was a disgraced wizard perhaps, he used a powerful memory charm on her.  And there's also the question of the insurance company.  Someone paid for all the hospitalizing, but I can't find any information on the company, so I think there's some Muggles involved," said Hermione.

            "I've found a little bit of information on Dante.  The word is Dante has no memories either which makes him one of the best in his field.  He works without morals or conscious and does what he's ordered to do.  This insurance company might show a more definite connection between them," mused Harry out loud.

            "That's what I was thinking.  This whole case is bigger than I thought.  First, we're investigating Skye Jones' murder, and now we're looking for two murderers.  Possible this Dante, or the real murderer.  And now we have another dead girl, Eden Martin.  We're not any closer to the solution of this entire puzzle," muttered Hermione in frustration. 

            "Hermione, I'm sorry," Harry whispered softly as he locked his gaze at her.

            "About earlier?  Never mind.  I was just feeling a little neglected.  I'm sorry I insinuated that you trusted Malfoy more than me.  I got jealous," admitted Hermione as she pulled one of the locks of her hair behind her ear.  Harry never noticed before that Hermione twirled that lock of hair when she was in deep thought, but when she was contented with something, she tucked it behind her ear.  He never noticed until Ron mentioned it; he mentioned just before he had vanished.  

            _Would Dante make that observation now?  Ron loves her more than life itself, but can he if he can't remember her at all?_, thought Harry as his chest tightened.  All the lying was starting to wear him down.  "Hermione, I have something to tell you.  I know that you're going to be mad, but I can't stand myself any longer," whispered Harry with a sigh.

            Hermione looked at him with concern.  The last time she heard that kind of concern in his voice was when he told her that her husband was missing.  It shook her to attention and a drop of fear seemed to flow into her blood at that moment.  "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

            "It's about Ron."

            "Did you find anything new?"

            "What would you do if I did?  What would you do if I found something about him?"

            "What do you think I wouldn't do to get him back?"

            "What if he wasn't the same person anymore?"

            "No one stays the same, Harry.  Things change.  I've changed.  I'm a mother now, and he's a father.  I don't think he even knows that Tyler exists.  Something has gone wrong with him.  He would have been home by now," said Hermione quickly.  She never told anyone her fear that he was dead.  

            "I'm just telling you, Hermione," said Harry helplessly. 

            "What?  That you agree with everyone else?  That you think he either abandoned me or he's dead?" said Hermione harshly.  She didn't want to hear any longer.  She stalked back into the house and collected her son and his things.  She went home that night shaking in anger, but her sadness overcame the anger even more.

*

            Dante's first order of business after he got out of bed was to get a new gun during the day.  He thought it was prudent because he was now on the grounds of the two British agents who managed to surprise him.  The conversation they had replayed in his mind over and over again.  Both men seemed to know him, especially the raven haired one with startling green eyes.  The agents in England would have less trouble than going abroad to find him.  He also decided that if he had to kill them, he would.  

            The gun was a semi-automatic.  Wearing a pair of latex gloves, he carefully loaded the bullets and the extra clips.  He pressed the top of the barrel close to his head once again.  The cold steel calmed and settle him. 

            Dante mistakenly closed his eyes at that moment.  An image of Eden Martin dying in his arms seemed to be imprinted on the inside of his eyelids.  For a moment, his breathing and heart rate increased.  He threw the gun down next to him on the bed.  Dante looked at his hands.  His eyes studied the golden band on his left ring finger.  He picked up the gun again and kept his eyes open.

            He redressed after another hour of clearing his thoughts away from the past events.  Most of the new memories he was forming were horrific ones.  Dante thought for a time that he was completely frozen inside and was an automaton.  His thoughts lingered once again on Eden Martin.  She was the one who managed to break into him.  She woke up emotions that were not there before.  Emotions of caring and compassion.  

            The first order of business that day was to go back and visit with the doctors in the London hospital where he first woke up.  The doctors urged him to stay, but he refused.  Eden Martin had done the same thing.  His symptoms were too much like hers; their infliction couldn't be a mere coincidence.  He had to find some answers.  

*

            In one of the upper offices of the Ministry of Magic, Charles Jones stared at a picture of his daughter.  He remembered being terrified when it was determined that Skye had no magic in her.  Charles worried about how she would be accepted into the world.  He always felt helpless because Skye was an outsider in the wizarding world.  

            Skye was the reason why he had joined the Continuum in the first place more than ten years ago.  Charles was offered the chance to join the group because of her.  He advocated for the fair treatment of squib and the relations between wizards and Muggles.  At first, the Continuum seemed like the perfect model of how wizards and Muggles were supposed to get along.  He was never so wrong in his life.

            The Muggles in the group were looking for the ultimate answer to the question that left researchers busy for decades.  Charles wanted the same answers as well.  The question was: why does the ability to use magic show up in others, but not in all human beings?  Where in genetics does magic come from?  What were the genetic markers for it?

            The wizards of the group were also scientists who wanted the same answer to those questions because the world wizard population was dispersed all over the world.  Where were the origins of magic in humans?  Charles was not the only person in the group who was closely related to a squib.  Some of the wizards were also Muggle born.  

            The scientists on both sides devised an experiment that defied all ethnical procedures.  Charles quickly put down the picture of his daughter.  His hand was shaking as he thought of the part he had played in the experiment.  His thoughts transferred immediate to Ronald Weasley.

            In the past three years, Charles' conscience kept his mind on the youngest Weasley son.  Charles remembered how Arthur Weasley seemed to age overnight.  He remembered how all the Aurors celebrated the birth of Tyler Weasley.  Not a day had gone by without him thinking of Ron Weasley.  Charles met with him only once before Ron was taken away for the experiment.  Charles Jones was the one who recommended Ron as a test subject, not knowing what was really in stored for either of them.

            Percy Weasley owled him the report about the killings in Boston.  Another young woman was killed, and the name of one of the suspects for the shooting was Dante.  Charles knew without proof that Dante was responsible for killing all of them.  The only death he wasn't sure of what Eden Martin.  There was no information about her given to him.  Charles' conscience finally cried out for no more blood shed.  

            He caused the deaths of these people indirectly.  He was the one who helped create Dante.  What in Merlin's name did he create?  The only choice left for Charles was to do something he had once feared more than anything: he was going to go against the Continuum. He lifted his hand and decided to do something he knew he had to do.  It was something Charles should have done years ago.  He was going to find Ron and order a meeting.  If he was a Jack-of-All-Trades, then one of Charles' other Muggle sources could tell him how to hire Dante for a job.  

            The path that Charles Jones chose was a dangerous one.  He was going to willfully defy the Continuum.  Charles could not save his daughter or the other girl, but he was going to save Ron Weasley.  Perhaps, by saving what was left of Ron, Charles could save his soul.

*

            Dr. Granger called his daughter from his office and told her some startling news.  The company that paid for Eden Martin's hospital bills, paid for the hospital bills for individuals around the world.  The age range for the patients was broad without any other connections, except for one thing: all had amnesia.  Fourteen amnesiacs.  There was a set of bills paid to a hospital in London.  The patient was male, estimated to be in his early twenties, and his physical attributes matched Dr. Granger's son-in-law.

            Hermione seemed shocked at the news.  She decided to go to the hospital herself to see the doctors who treated the man whose description matched her husbands.  Tyler happily stayed with his Nana and Papa with the promise that he wouldn't do any magic.  Hermione's mother was more than happy to allow him to do that, but Hermione insisted that Tyler behave himself.  After some crying from Tyler, Hermione departed for the hospital.

            Hermione got lost in the hospital because it was more of a maze than Hogwarts.  "Excuse me, where can I find the neurology department?" she asked an orderly.  The orderly gave her directions and went there.

            Someone was walking out the department as she got close to it.  He was tall with flaming red hair.  Hermione's heart stopped when she saw him and dropped to her stomach.  Her jaw dropped at the sight of him.  Her eyes began to fill with tears, but she willed herself not to let her vision blur.  The person stopped in front of her, noticing her distress.

            "Is there something wrong?" he asked her, but his voice was devoid of any emotion.  She looked up at him.  His eyes were cold.  The spark was gone.  He looked at her as if he didn't know her.  

            "It's me.  Ron.  Don't you recognize me?" whispered Hermione.

            "Am I supposed to?" he asked harshly.

            "I'm your wife."

AN:  Another evil cliffhanger.  But, that's what a mystery is all about.  Finally, I wrote the part where Ron and Hermione met again.  It took a long time.  What's the grand experiment that Charles Jones help conduct?  Thanks for the reviews.  I really appreciate them.   Some people are saying that I should write my own original works.  Maybe someday, who knows?  Anyway, I joined two cliques that required me to pick a house.  I picked Ravenclaw.  I like blue and people described me as intelligent.  I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, so there you have it.  What house do you honestly belong to?

Disclaimer:  Harry Potter belongs to the wonderfully talented J.K. Rowling along with some other companies who have the rights.  I own this story and all the new characters.


	13. Wand and Rings

Living Memory

Chapter Thirteen: Wand and Rings

            The neurology department of the hospital was a familiar place to Dante.  For a man without a memory, coming back to the place he woke up in was like coming home.  He sought to find the doctor who had originally treated him.  There were several that he saw during his stay.  The doctor he remembered first meeting was Dr. Damon Drake.  In fact, Dante had met him almost none stop during his first few weeks in the hospital, but the doctor had disappeared completely one day; Dante was never told why.

            "Hello, I'm looking for Dr. Damon Drake," said Dante to the nurse.  She was someone who new because Dante didn't remember her.

            "Dr. Drake?  I don't know who that is," said the nurse.  She paged Dr. Drake for Dante, but no one came.  Another doctor, someone Dante knew came to the desk.

            "Why are you paging Dr. Drake, Nurse?  He no longer works here," said Dr. Fuller.  He smiled as he looked at Dante.  "Come with me, Joe," he added.  Dante allowed Dr. Fuller to take him to an office to talk privately.  The office was also a very familiar setting to Dante.  Dr. Fuller was a psychiatrist who specialized with patients who had memory loss.  "It's been a while since I've seen you, Joe.

            Dante chose not to correct the doctor.  "How have you been, Doctor?" he asked.

            "Fine.  I would ask you the same thing, but we know that we can never really be sure.  What brings you back to the hospital?" asked Dr. Fuller.

            "I'm looking for Dr. Damon Drake," answered Dante.

            Dr. Fuller let out a sigh because he wasn't sure how to help Dante.  "Dr. Drake was only here a few weeks before he was transferred out of here.  He was only temporarily assigned, and you were the only patient he had here."

            "Doesn't that sound strange to you?"

            "I supposed it did.  The higher powers put him here, and I wasn't in a position to stop him.  He was only interested in your case," answered Dr. Fuller.

            Dante sat still, letting his brain process the information he was given.  People always seemed to disappear around Dante, but Dr. Drake was the first person he saw when he woke up.  Dante was sure that Dr. Drake would know something about him.  Dr. Drake kept asking Dante questions about his memory and seemed satisfied that Dante couldn't remember anything.  

            "Do you have any records about where he went?" asked Dante.

            "Even if I did, I couldn't give them to you," answered Dr. Fuller sadly.  Dante decided he had had enough of the hospital and told the doctor a good day as he abruptly got up to leave.  He was about leave with nothing until the Dr. Fuller said one more thing, "Joe, don't give up.  Keep digging.  Look at the paper trail.  It always leads to something."

            Dante said nothing as he shut the door behind him.  A paper trail.  He realized that asking questions vocally and expecting straight answers was foolish.  Words meant nothing in a world where written contracts ruled.  A verbal agreement is worth as much as the paper it is written on; Dante would have to find hard evidence.  

            As he walked down the hall to get out of the hospital a woman entered the hall, she seemed distracted at first.  Her hair was brown with brown ringlets.  Her eyes were chocolate brown, and her lips were covered in a light gloss that shined underneath the weak lighting.  Her figure was petite but curvy.  She wasn't all that big at all, so he almost ran into her.

            He didn't noticed when her eyes recognized him.  She looked like she was going to cry.  Dante didn't know why he cared, but he asked: "Is there something wrong?"

            "It's me Ron.  Don't you recognize me?" she asked in a whisper.  She focused her eyes into his, but he couldn't place this woman.

            "Am I supposed to?" asked Dante.  He didn't mean to sound harsh.  He noticed that she smell nice.  She smelled like baby oil and powder.  (AN: Yes that should be a clue to Dante.  ^_~)

            "I'm your wife," she answered.  Dante betrayed a small look of surprise and stepped back away from her.  He was wrong if he thought she couldn't look more hurt.  "Ron." 

            "I don't know whom you're talking about," Dante answered, hiding the panic that filled him.  Why was he so scared?  He had the same feelings of familiarity flooded him when he saw the two men at Eden's grave.  The feeling of familiarity with this woman was different.  His emotions were stronger.  How was he going to get passed the her?

            Hermione didn't know what came over her, but she sensed that he was going to run if she didn't stop him.  She left for her wand.  It was tucked into her sleeve.  She always kept it there just in case.  She debated on whether or not she should use magic on him.  Hermione flicked her wrist at that moment.

            Dante's instincts told him that he had to stop her.  He grabbed her wrists when she flicked it.  He pulled her body towards his.  She let out a gasp as his other hand searched her sleeve and drew out her wand.  "What is this?" he asked harshly.  As a Jack-of-All-Trades, he knew a weapon when he saw one, even if the weapon looked like a twig. 

            "It's a wand," she answered without struggling.  Dante didn't let her go.  Instead, he turned her around, he hissed into her ear, "Don't scream.  We'll just walk out of here together.  Don't look like someone has your life in his hands."

            His voice sent shivers down her spine.  They weren't the same shivers she felt before; she was afraid of him.  He had her wand in his hand, and he was too quick and too strong for her to stop him physically.  No matter how scared Hermione was she didn't want to stop him.  

            Little she knew the kind of confusion she threw Dante into.  He was already confused enough, and now this woman were claiming to be his wife.  What proof did she have that she was?   He felt her left hand shaking underneath his.  It was irritating for more than one reason.  She was wearing two rings.  One of them obviously had a diamond or hard jewel on it because he could feel it against his hand.  He tightened his grip on her left hand, causing her to gasp in pain and surprise.  She twisted to get herself free, and the rock on her finger was now cutting into the flesh of his palm.  

            Hermione didn't know how long it took before they were outside again.  The only sign that they were outside was the blast of natural light from the sun.  He didn't let her go just yet.  "Keep walking," he ordered.  She didn't make a sound as she complied.  He pushed her forward and until they reached the sideway.

            "I have a gun.  Don't make any sudden moves," Dante warned her.  Hermione's eyes widened in alarm.  Was this her husband?  She couldn't even imagine her husband even touching a gun.  She nodded slowly with her bottom lip trembling.  He suddenly did something that was odd for him.  He felt bad for terrifying this woman, so he placed his thumb across her lip to stop her trembling.  

            Their eyes locked at that moment.  He felt something strange go through his entire being.  The odd feeling came from his heart and permeated out to the rest of him.  It wasn't the same kind of feeling of familiarity he felt when he wrote words from his dreams or met the two English men back in Boston; those feelings seemed to come from deep inside his brain.  

            Looking for some hope in him, Hermione kept her eyes locked on his.  His other hand was still wrapped around hers.  His eyes were no longer as cold as they were inside.  They seemed to glow with curiosity.  He didn't seem determined to hurt her anymore.  They broke the stare at the same time when a cab pulled up.  

            "Get in," he told her.  Hermione went inside first, but before she knew it, he closed the door.  She looked so surprise when he took off running.  She quickly turned to get the door open when she noticed something missing other than her wand.

            Her wedding band and engagement ring was gone.

*

            Dante took off running as quickly as possible.  He just let himself fly through the streets of crowded London, dodging and weaving through the crowd.  He kept going until he reached one of the entrances to the subway and quickly got on one to get back to his motel.

            He had learned nothing about Dr. Drake, but he had something else.  The wand and rings of the woman.  An idea came to him as the diamond on the engagement ring cut into his palm.  He turned on as much light as possible and drew open the curtains to inspect her things.  

            He laid the wand aside.  He looked at the diamond ring first.  It had to be at least one carat.  The setting was platinum.  There was nothing written on it.  The next ring held more information.  It was a gold band that matched his.  The inscription on the inside almost caused him to drop it.  "R.W. + H.G. 14/2/2003. 4 EVER."  It was identical to his. 

            He sat back down on the bed, looking shaken.  What did she call him?  Ron?  _That must be the "R" in this ring.  These rings,_ thought Dante as he took off his own ring.  He lined them up against the light to see them.  Everything was identical, except for the sizes.   His mind clouded over again.  That woman.  That woman, was his wife?  It was too much for his brain to process.  

            Now, Dante turned his attention to the wand.  It looked like a stick to him.  He picked it up without putting down the rings.  He felt a strong tingle in his arm.   Suddenly, there was a spark that came out of it.  He dropped the wand at once.

            A word hissed in mind to answer what happened: magic.  _There's no such thing as magic.  Like there's no heaven or hell.  Nothing in this life is worth fighting so much for.  I should have just left her without taking her rings,_ he thought as he denied all the evidence in front of him.  

            The cell phone on the nightstand rang and he answered it, "What?" 

            "My name is Charles Jones," said a deep voice on the other end.

            Dante's clouded mind snapped once again to clarity.  Charles Jones was the father of Skye Jones.  "Yes," whispered Dante.

            "I want to meet with you," said Mr. Jones.

            "What about?" asked Dante.

            "About my daughter's murder," answered Mr. Jones.  

            Dante wanted to take a deep breath.  There was too much going on for him, but he asked, "Where?"

            "At Trafalgar Square, near the fountain at three o' clock.  Today," answered Mr. Jones as he hung up the phone.  

            Dante sat still for a while, feeling the rings in his hand.  He didn't even do anything about the cut on his hand.

*

            Hermione stared at her left hand.  Both her rings were gone, and so was Ron.  She was close to panicking.  "Where would you like to go, Ma'am?" asked the cab driver.

            "Um…nowhere," she answered as she opened the door of the cab.  She decided that Ron was there for a reason, so she marched straight back at the hospital.  Ron was long gone, and it would have been pointless to search for him.  She went all the way back to the floor and the department where she saw him.  

            She did what she always did when something in her life upset her: she went to work.  Hermione looked for a someone to help her and flashed her Auror's badge that got her through most place.  

Dr. Fuller greeted her at his office.  He seemed like a nice person, so she asked him questions about the insurance company.  Almost immediately, he gave her a strange look.  "What is it?" she asked him patiently as she rubbed her right hand over her naked left hand.

            "There was only one patient who used Life Enterprises.  He was amnesiac.  They paid for all his bills," answered Dr. Fuller.

            "But, why did you look so strange when I asked you?" Hermione pressed on, sensing that the man wanted to tell her something more.

            "He was just here a couple of minutes ago.  He has retrograde amnesia.  He can remember how to do procedures, but he has no explicit memories of his own.  The only clue to his identity that we had was his wedding band," answered Dr. Fuller.  He couldn't disclosed too much because of doctor-patient confidentiality.  

            "Did his wedding band have an inscription on it that said 'R.W.+H.G.  14/2/2003.  4EVER?'" asked Hermione.

            "Why, yes it did.  How did you know that?" asked Dr. Fuller in utter surprise.

            "Because his name is Ronald Weasley, and I'm his wife," answered Hermione as her vision blurred with tears.  The last part came out as sob.  She put her hand in front of her mouth to prevent anymore from escaping.

            Dr. Fuller's eyes widened even more.  He quickly handed her some tissues.  "We have a little boy.  He was born two years ago.  Premature.  I didn't even know I was pregnant," said Hermione quickly, not wanting to cry in front a stranger.  It was too late.

            The doctor decided to break the code he kept.  "He was here looking for information about Dr. Damon Drake.  He was the first doctor to tend to your husband.  He left soon after," he said.  He sounded uncomfortable.  

            "Do you have any idea where Ron is staying now?" asked Hermione desperately.

            "I don't.  He left despite recommendations not to leave.  Dr. Drake listed that in his chart.  I personally didn't agree with Dr. Drake, and neither did your husband.  Joe—I mean Ron—left under his own accord.  I was the only one who supported it.  I offered him some money out of my own pocket, but he refused," said Dr. Fuller.  He was a good man, but he was never good at just shutting his eyes and minding his own business.  His superiors indulged him because he was a damn fine doctor as well as well known.  

            "That sounds like the Ron I know," said Hermione, allowing herself a tiny smile.  

            "Your husband was the strangest case I have ever seen.  Everyone carries identification, but he didn't have any," said Dr. Fuller as he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

            Hermione knew why.  Wizards didn't typically carry the kind of identification that Muggles carried.  The pieces were sliding together in her head.  Ron didn't come home because he couldn't remember who he was.  A chill went down Hermione again.  She had to find him.  Dr. Fuller couldn't tell her anymore, and she prevented him.  She couldn't answer some of the questions about Ron's past.  What was she supposed to say?   Ron was a wizard with the Aurors, and the law enforcement group against dark magic?  

            "About Life Enterprises, do you have any paperwork or a phone number?" asked Hermione.  Dr. Fuller went through his Rolodex, pulled out a card, and handed it to her.

            "That's all I have.  The hospital didn't care because the bills were all paid without question," said Dr. Fuller.

            "Thank you, Dr. Fuller," said Hermione as she rose to leave.

            "You're welcome, Mrs. Weasley," said Dr. Fuller.

            Hermione left the hospital in a numb state.  She didn't have her wand with her, so she couldn't apparate home.  She did have money to take a cab back to her parents' house, but they weren't home.  Hermione opened the door with her key and went inside.   She curled up into the armchair.  She pressed her forehead against her knees with tears streaming down her cheeks.

            Her tears were from frustration and sadness.  She usually kept the tears back, but she felt safe enough in her childhood home to let herself cry.  She felt her body give out.  Her hands felt bare.  Hermione pulled herself together five minutes later.  Her thoughts and concerns were now for Ron.  What happened to him exactly?  What caused his memory loss?  

            Her thoughts went towards Tyler.  Tyler always wanted a daddy.  His daddy.  He was old enough to notice that he didn't have a father like other children.  He also was aware that Harry wasn't his father.  Tyler said if he were, then he would stay with them at home.  Ron was his father, but how was she supposed to explain either to the other one?  Ron didn't know that Tyler existed, and Tyler never had a father.

            Hermione soon realized that she hadn't called in for a while, and Percy would probably be concerned about her whereabouts.  What was she going to tell him along with the rest of the family?  What about Harry?  She picked up the phone to call Harry because she knew that he had a Muggle phone.  He only got one to keep in touch with Hermione when she was staying at her parents during her pregnancy with Tyler.  

            "Hello, Hermione," answered Harry on the other end.  She was the only one who ever called him on the phone.

            "Harry, I went to the hospital today to look into the insurance company.  And I found Ron," said Hermione.  She tried sounding as calm as possible.  There was a long pause at the end of the line.

            "A-are you sure?" he stammered.  Harry on the other end of the line was in shock.  

            "Yes, I'm sure.  He couldn't remember me, Harry.  He got my wand and my rings," said Hermione.

            "Your rings?" asked Harry in surprise.

            "Yes, my engagement and wedding rings.  Harry, we have to find him.  I can't apparate right now, so I'll be waiting for you to come," said Hermione.

            "All right, I'll be there," said Harry.  He put on his coat and took off.  Harry felt like his heart was going to explode out of his chest.  He even thought of warning Draco ahead of time because Hermione wasn't going to keep it quiet.  He gave it a second thought; he knew that Draco could handle himself.  The man was an expert liar, so Harry knew that Draco would come up with something.  

            The mystery was getting bigger and bigger.  There were so many things that didn't fit together.  Skye Jones, Eden Martin, and Ron.  Harry was anxious to know what Hermione really found out at the hospital.  No doubt that she wanted to report to Percy first, so that the Aurors could start searching for Ron. 

            Harry was going to have to find out what happened to Ron first before attempting to reason with him again.  Ron was looking for answers, and Harry's instincts told him that Ron wasn't going to give up until he knew what happened.  Harry decided to do the same thing.

*

            Later that afternoon, just before three o' clock, Charles Jones apparated to a more quiet part of the museum near Trafalgar Square.  He walked all the way to the fountain and felt his head pounding at the same time.  The fountain was huge and there were so many people at the Square.  The Muggles were bustling amongst themselves.  

            His vision blurred as his head continued to pound.  Charles had been suffering from massive headaches and mirages for weeks.  He took potions to stop them, but they always came back.  His wife insisted that he go to the doctor, but he refused because he was always too busy with work.  The headaches kept coming back, and he always thought that it was due to stress.  

            By the time he had reached the fountain, his vision was so blurry that he could barely see it.  A man came up to him.  Charles could make out the man's flaming red hair.  "Dante?" asked Mr. Jones.

            "Yes," answered the man.

            "I summoned you here about something," said Mr. Jones.

            "It is about your daughter.  I did not kill her," said Dante.

            "I know you did not.  The police in New York confirmed just a few hours ago that it was a man named Brian Hunt," said Mr. Jones.

            "Then, why did you ask for me?" asked Dante.

            "I needed to tell you the truth about what I've done to you and the others," said Mr. Jones.  His strength was leaving him.  He looked like he was going to collapse at any moment.

            "The others?"

            "Yes, there's more than just you and Eden Martin."

            "More.  Who are you, Mr. Jones?"

            "I'm…the man who chose you…" gasped Mr. Jones as he collapse into darkness.  He could only hear echoes of voices.  Charles could hear the man who called himself Dante, calling for help on a Muggle telephone.  A crowd of people was shouting for help.  Finally, even the voices stopped.  A nightmare that Charles could only imagine before.

AN: I kept coming back to the rings for a reason.  It's one of the major triggers in this story.  I also have Eden Martin for that reason.  Dante/Ron is supposed to feel like an older brother or protector towards her.  I warned people that she was going to die, but readers were still sad.  Her death is important because it leaves a better trail to follow.  Don't be too hard on Ron for stealing his wife's rings.  Poor Hermione.  What did they do to her husband?  One little cliffhanger, and I get so many reviews in such a short period of time.  Cliffhangers make the mystery.  I know where this mystery is going.  I've always loved international intrigue and spies.  There are still some twists and turns to go.  I'll say it once I'll say it again there's nothing like a good action movie.  Wee…Spiderman out on May 3rd.  I'll take a day off from you lovely people and go to the movies.  Don't worry, I'll probably be closer to finishing this.  And maybe, I'll torture you with another action story.  Either way, looks like someone else is going to die in this fic.  

Disclaimer: Yadda. Yadda.  Yadda.  Yoga.  Yoda?  I don't own Harry Potter.  J.K. Rowling is the true genius, I'm just an idiot savant who is borrowing her work.  


	14. Last Exit

Living Memory

Chapter 14: Last Exit

            Hour after hour past before Charles' eyes reopened.  He felt weak.  Worst, he didn't even know where he was.  There were needles inserted into his arms, and he could hear the sounds of beeping.  Soon, he realized that the sounds matched his heartbeat.  

            "You are awake," said a voice.  Charles turned his head towards the voice.  "Don't move around too much," ordered the voice.  Charles' eyes focused on a pair of icy blue eyes that held no concern or compassion.  It was Dante.  Charles had the feeling that he was just repeating information that the doctors told him.

            "Where am I?" asked Charles in a hoarse voice.

            "In the hospital," responded Dante.

            "What's wrong with me?" asked Charles.  He never felt so physically weak in his life.  The pounding in his head subsided, but Charles knew that there was something seriously wrong with him.

            "You have an aneurysm in your brain.  The doctors are trying to see if they can operate," answered Dante.

            No wonder Charles' head ached for so long and his vision blurred.  A wizarding doctor could take care of it quickly, but Charles wasn't willing.  "What happens if they can't operate?  What happens if I refuse?" he asked, hoping for the answer he wanted.

            "You'll died," replied Dante without hesitation.

            Charles smiled at the irony of the situation.  He would have laughed if he had the strength.  He was the reason why Dante had no memories.  Now, Charles' brain was going.  Now, he could tell Dante the truth without fear of the Continuum's wrath.  His family would be safer with him died.  "Did you find my wand?" he asked.  

            "Yes," answered Dante.  Charles' vision was clear.  He could see him.  As he studied the younger man, he swallowed hard.  Around Dante's neck was the necklace of Samantha Adams, but to Charles' surprise there were two rings on either side of the pendant.  "It's not the first one I've picked up today," Dante continued.

            Charles closed his eyes, so that he could collect his thoughts before saying anymore, "I knew you before," he said.

            "This is the first time, I remember seeing you," said Dante in return.

            "Of course, you wouldn't remember me, Dante," said Charles, turning his head away from Dante's piercing blue eyes.

            "You said you knew about the others.  About Eden.  What happened to us wasn't a coincidence," said Dante as he pulled his chair closer to the bed.  "Tell me what you know.  There is nowhere else for you to go."

            "There hasn't been anywhere to escape in the last three years for me.  For you.  Do you know who hired Brian Hunt?" whispered Charles.  

            "I have his client's Swiss Bank Account number.  I could trace it at any time, but I've been dealing with other things.  But, I have a feeling you will tell me.  One way or another," Dante's voice had a dangerous edge.

            "Alexander Curtis.  And you'll find that he works for a group called the Continuum.  It's the same group behind Life Enterprises Insurance," said Charles.

            "What is the Continuum?"

            "A group that is made up of wizards and non-magics.  The non-magics are called Muggles.  I see you know that word.  It's buried somewhere in your mind.  We wanted to answer the question of magical origins.  My daughter, Skye.  She was born without magic," said Charles.  His voice sounded even hoarser.  

            "Wizards?"

            "Yes, wizards.  You are a wizard.  Your real name is Ronald Weasley.  Your parents are Arthur and Molly Weasley.  You have a wife.  Her name is Hermione," said Charles very quickly. 

            "You said 'we.'  You are part of this 'Continuum'," Dante said, ignoring the facts that he was just given.

            "Yes.  I was in charge of recruiting subjects for an experiment.  We wanted to test the abilities of full fledge wizards.  The idea was to select wizards of different pedigrees.  I was in charge of selecting pure-blooded wizards because of my connections in the wizarding world," said Charles.

            "You said that you chose me.  So, I'm a full blood," said Dante.  

            "Yes.  You were the one I selected.  Your pedigree goes back more than ten generations of wizards," said Charles.

            Dante stood up abruptly.  The whole thing sounded ridiculous.  Wizards?  In the age of computers?  "I don't believe this," he muttered.

            "Tell me.  Do you sometimes feel like uttering words that you have never heard before?  Words that aren't even in English?  Have you ever felt a tingle or shock go through your body?  When you held my wand did sparks fly out of it?" asked Charles.  He knew from the look on Dante's face that the answer to those questions was yes.

            "What did you do to me?" he demanded in a whisper with his back turned to him.

            "The scientists on both ends decided to take away all the memories of the subjects with a combination of Muggle potions and wizard memory charms," answered Charles.  "At the end, each subject was placed in the Muggle world and observed.  All the observations were recorded.  We wanted to see if you could regain the use of your powers.  We didn't account for the fact that you would remember some magical words—" 

            Charles stopped suddenly because Dante had turned around.  His eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits.  Charles felt fear go through his body.  "No one would volunteer for such an experiment.  It's unethical," whispered Dante.  In a flash, he was over Charles with his hands pressing hard on Charles' shoulders.  "You stole people's lives away.  You treated people less than human."

            Charles could say nothing in his defense because it was all true.  He made no move to fight back.  "You fucking son of a bitch.  You stole my life from me.  I should take yours," said Dante without moving his hands.

            "I've had to live with it for three years," said Charles, feebly.  

            "Not the way I had to," whispered back Dante as his hands moved to Charles' throat.

*

            The Aurors Headquarters was thrown into utter chaos upon the news of Ron Weasley.  Hermione gave a detailed account of what happened to her.  Percy listened with interest and eagerness.  He ordered that the Aurors devote their attention to the case that was building.  It was time to piece everything together.

            Harry remained silent through most of it.  Draco also didn't say much about what was going on.  He and Harry looked at each other, but said nothing.  Hermione and Percy alerted the rest of the family and the Weasleys were coming in together.  The children would be the wives of the Weasley brothers.  Penelope volunteered to look after Tyler.  Harry was getting more and more anxious.  He waited for Draco to sell him out and tell Percy everything.

            Mr. Weasley came along with Mrs. Weasley.  Bill and Charlie apparated from Egypt and Romania respectively.  Fred and George came in together with Ginny arriving a few minutes later.  They used a big room for the meeting.  Mrs. Weasley looked happy at the news, while Mr. Weasley wanted to know more first.  

            "Hermione met Ron in the Muggle Hospital in London today.  He took her wand and rings from her," said Percy, sparing no time.

            "What?" asked Mr. Weasley in alarm.  He and Mrs. Weasley sensed that there was more to Hermione's encounter with Ron than what Percy was saying.  

            "Ron has retrograde amnesia.  He couldn't remember me," whispered Hermione.  The other Weasleys, except for Percy, had shocked looks on their faces.  How could Ron not remember his wife?  The wife who he had worked so hard for.  The wife that he worked long hours with over time for just to buy her a house with furniture and an expensive engagement ring.  Ron waited for a few years before Hermione was ready to marry him.  And furthermore, Hermione had Tyler because she told him just before he disappeared that she wanted to have children.  He adored his wife more than anything.

            Mrs. Weasley was sitting next to her; she rubbed Hermione's shoulder to comfort her.  "What's happened really?" asked Mr. Weasley.

            "I supposed we should say something," said Harry as he and Draco let themselves in.  

            "I've been wondering how long before you two would come up with a real report," said Percy with a hint of annoyance.

            "I have a confession to make," said Harry quietly.  Draco said nothing.  Neither of them wanted to sit down.  "I've known about Ron for a couple days now," he continued.

            "What?" asked Hermione as she stood up.  

            "Let me explain," said Harry quickly.  "Remember the murder of Skye Jones?  Draco went to the hotel that one of the suspects was staying at.  With the use of Muggle technology, he spotted Ron on one of the security tapes in New York.  We started following his trail.  All the way to Boston, he was at the grave of Eden Martin.  We lost him again."

            "Do you know what Jacks-of-All-Trades are?" asked Draco.

            "Yes, I know.  They're a group of men and women who are highly skilled assassins," said Percy.

            "That's not completely correct," said Draco, ignoring the surprised looks because he corrected Percy.  "They are paid to do whatever job is required of them.  Killing is just part of it.  They kidnap, steal, and even protect.  They will do a job at very high prices.  There were two Jacks who were the top.  One of them, Brian Hunt, was the one who killed Skye Jones.  We just found out that two days ago.  The Muggle Law Enforcement found the evidence in his flat in New York City.  However, he was killed back at Boston and it was found that his gun was used to murder Eden Martin.  The rumors are that the other Jack killed him: Dante."

            "We met him at the grave of Eden Martin, but he was too smart for us.  He used smoke bombs as distractions.  By the time, the smoke cleared he was gone.  He is the top Jack-of-All-Trades.  A man without a past.  His physical prowess is the thing that makes him most sought after.  Rumor has it he can run on walls and defy gravity.  Some even call him a phantom," said Harry.

            Hermione's face paled over.  "Dante…he's Ron," she said finally.

            Harry nodded grimly.  "He's responsible for the murders at the hanger in Boston.  He is extremely dangerous," said Draco further.  

            "Why didn't either of you report this all immediately?!" roared Percy.  He placed all his dignity aside at that moment.  The rest of his family had never seen that from him before.  "You both are facing dismissal at this moment!  Do you understand me?!"

            "Harry James Potter!" said Mrs. Weasley loudly.  Harry visibly winced at her tone and at the use of his full name.  

            "Let me explain," interrupted Draco.  He couldn't believe that he was helping Potter out.

            "Yes, please explain," said Hermione coolly as she folded her arms over her chest.  Draco stood his ground despite the urge to back away from her because of the look on her face.  

            "We wanted to be sure that it was him at first.  After that encounter at the grave, we decided to look into Dante—I mean Weasley's—disappearance.  I knew that you would have looked at the Muggle insurance company, and that Harry would be trying to keep himself from telling you what he knew.  So, I made a call to one of the Muggles I knew.  He's excellent with Muggle technology, especially these devices called computers," said Draco.

            "And what did you find out?" asked Mr. Weasley in a very irritated voice.  He swore that Draco was still like his father.

            "Ron wasn't the only one who disappeared nearly three years ago.  And neither was Eden Martin.  I found out that Eden Martin's real name is Samantha Adams.  There were twelve other people who went missing.  That wasn't in the computers, but it was in wizard missing persons files around the world.  Samantha Adams was a witch who was born to a Muggle father and witch mother.  She worked in Boston where she apparated to work everyday.  One day she never showed up to work.  She had vanished into thin air.  Keiko Sasaki of the Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan, a witch whose mother was Muggle and father, a wizard, disappeared one afternoon, leaving her two young children unsupervised in the house.  No one found a trace of her, and her husband swore that his wife wouldn't abandon him or their children.  Louis Dubois, a French Herbologist, who took an early retirement to spend the rest of his time fishing in Greece, also vanished.  One day his boat went out, and it came back without him.  Raymond Mamon, of Australia, he was an shaman with his tribe.  He went off into the Outback to do a walkabout and vanished.  And that's just some of the stories.  They all disappeared within days of each other.  Weasley's disappearance is the last one recorded," said Draco.

            "When did you find this out?" asked Harry, hiding the fact that he was impressed.

            "Just a few hours ago," replied Draco with a smirk.

            The Weasleys and Hermione were shocked at the news.  More than a dozen wizards and witches disappearing around the world.  "What about the computers?" asked Hermione.

            "My guy says that the insurance company was paying claims all over the world.  One in London with a male patient in his early twenties with amnesia.  None of these people had any memories.  Whoever did this was brilliant.  What better way to hide a wizard than in the Muggle world?  Besides, with Weasley being a pure-blood no one would think of him going into the Muggle world.  Especially without his Muggle born wife," said Draco.  

            "The Continuum," whispered Hermione.  Mr. Weasley snapped at attention.  "What did you just say?" he asked her.

            "The Continuum.  That's what Charles Jones told me to look into.  He was the one who told me to go to the Unspeakables," said Hermione.

            "I knew it," whispered Mr. Weasley.

            "Knew what, Dad?" asked Bill.  The other Weasleys hadn't said anything.  They were in shock.  Even Fred and George couldn't come up with anything to say.

            "Charles.  Damn.  I suspected it, but I never said anything," said Mr. Weasley.

            "What are you talking about Arthur?" asked Molly.

            "Only a few people in the upper levels of the Ministry knew about the Continuum.  I was one of them.  Because of my views on Muggle relations, I was offered a position in the Continuum.  It was about twenty years ago.  The Continuum was a group that was interested in finding the origins of magic.  It was comprised of Muggles and wizards.  In principle, it sounded like a good group.  However, my instincts told me otherwise and the Dark Lord was gone for the time being.  I just wanted to enjoy being with all you, Molly, and the children.  So, I turned down the offer.  At the time, Charles' daughter, Skye, was tested for magic and they found out that she didn't have enough magic to light a candle.  He was desperate to find a way to help his daughter.  I knew that he had join the Continuum, or rather, I strongly suspected it," said Mr. Weasley.

            "Why haven't any of us heard of the Continuum before?" asked Charlie.

            "Because we didn't think of them as a threat before.  We were all too concerned with the Dark Lord and his forces.  The Continuum has gained a lot of power in the Ministry.  It's threatening to swallow up everything," said Mr. Weasley.

            "That's why you decided to run for Minister, even though you didn't want to, Dad," said Fred.  

            "Yes.  It's not the Muggles.  It's the wizards that may be the most dangerous," said Mr. Weasley.

            "Why wasn't I informed?" demanded Percy.  He was really getting angry at the lack of information he was receiving.  He was the head of the Aurors after all.

            "Because most of the Ministry doesn't believe it.  I do.  We ignored the potential threat of the Continuum because we were too busy fighting the Dark Lord.  Now that everything is at peace again, another war is brewing," said Mr. Weasley as he shook his head.

            "What about Charles Jones?" asked Hermione quietly.  "He told me he was sorry.  Do you think he had anything to do with Ron's disappearance?"

            Mr. Weasley gave a ragged sigh and nodded ever so slightly.  "When you are a member of the Continuum, like the Death Eaters, you do as you are ordered to do.  The Continuum first started out so ideally.  It turned corrupt like the Death Eaters.  They welcomed Muggles into their group, so some of the pure bloods wouldn't accept them.  The wizards that joined them were powerful like Charles.  I don't know what they've done.  What Charles had done.  Now that I've seen some of the evidence, I think that Charles may know something about this whole mess," he said.

            "I'll summon Charles Jones here.  Harry.  Draco.  Go and find Charles Jones.  Bring him down here.  Do whatever it takes," ordered Percy.

            Harry and Draco nodded without saying a word they left.

*

            Dante's hands settled around the Charles' throat.  Charles gave no struggle as he watched his soulless eyes.  "You have more to tell me," said Dante as he loosened his grip.

            "You have a son.  He's less then three years old.  Your wife didn't even know she expecting," whispered Charles.  Dante's hands left his throat all together.  

            Having a wife wasn't a surprise to him because he had his ring.  Having a son was something he was unprepared for.  He looked shocked at the news.  "I have a son," he whispered.  He sat back down on his chair.  Dante wasn't use to children.  They were alien to him.  How could he have one of those?  And even if his wife didn't hate him, he was sure that the little boy would resent him.  

            "I know the truth about the Continuum.  I will tell you everything you want to know.  And then you can kill me," said Charles.

            "I would rather let you suffer," said Dante coldly.  "Besides, we're in a hospital.  I won't be held responsible for killing you.  I'm not completely without compassion.  What little I have seems to have returned, I will stay with you until you die."

            "Thank you.  Now, I will tell you what you need to know.  You have to stop the Continuum," said Charles as he started to tell Dante what he knew.

*

            Harry and Draco came to the office of Charles Jones only to find out that he had left his office.  "Let's search his office," said Draco.

            "No, Percy said that we had to bring him down to headquarters," insisted Harry.

            "Yes, I know.  We're in trouble enough, Potter.  A little more isn't going to kill you.  Then again, I don't have your reputation.  But, would you rather take a look around for some useful information or report back to the Chief with nothing?" asked Draco with a raised eyebrow.

            _Good God.  He's so irritating.  How is it possible for him to be even more annoying than he was in Hogwarts?_, thought Harry with his jaw clutched.  He gave a curt nod to show that he agreed with Draco. 

            Carefully they searched through the office looking for some kind of clue.  There was a phone line in the office.  It was odd because Muggle technology couldn't work in the office.  However, Harry noticed that there was a careful shielding spell used on it.  "He called outside of this office," said Harry.

            "Well, that's fairly obvious.  I've only used a telephone twice.  However, there's a button here that I've never seen before.  It says 'redial,'" said Draco.

            "That's because you've only used public pay phones.  A phone that is for private use has a redial button to call back the last caller," said Harry, picking up the phone and pressing the redial button.

            "Wait a minute, Potter.  Jones wouldn't leave with his wand, would he?" asked Draco.

            Harry hung up the phone at that moment.  "Yes, he wouldn't leave without it.  We could trace it.  We could trace Hermione's wand as well," said Harry thoughtfully.

            "I think we should find Charles Jones first," said Draco.  "It's my idea."

            "Fine.  Besides, Percy's going to have our heads if we don't," said Harry.  He took out his wand and chanted a spell that made it glow.  It was only a matter of time before they would find Charles Jones.

*

            "You left me a war to fight," said Dante quietly to Charles.  Charles' skin had gone from ashen to pale.  It was a harsh contrast compared to the usual dark skin he had.  The doctors came in while they were talking, but Charles refused to have his brain operated on.  The doctors tried to reason with him, but he still refused.

            "For that I am truly sorry.  I can't ask you for your forgiveness, Ron.  All I can do is help you prevent the Continuum from doing anymore damage in this world.  If there is one thing I can do to save what's left of my soul, I have to do it.  My daughter died because of my choices.  I can't even forgive myself.  So, I do not expect you to forgive me," whispered Charles.

            Dante said nothing.  He had all the information that Charles had.  Hours were slipping by slowly as he watched him die.  Charles lost consciousness all together.  The machines that monitored his heartbeat slowed down.  Dante watched as the machines made a long beep that showed a flat line on the monitors.  A nurse came in and turned off the machined.  The doctors were told by Charles not to resuscitate, so they merely listed his time of death.

            Dante's business was done at the hospital.  He stood up and left, leaving Charles' wand by his bedside.  The doctors pulled a sheet over Charles' body.  Dante allowed himself one last glance back at the man who destroyed his life.  Dante knew that Charles destroyed his own life in the process along with his daughter's.  

            Dante went into the night.  It was raining again, but this time he felt cleaner.  It was the end of Charles Jones.  The end of the Continuum was just about to come.

AN: Ah, Charles Jones died.  Big surprise there.  I thought he deserved a long painful death for what happened to Ron.   I guess in a way Ron forgave him by staying with him until he died.  Ron/Dante's character is starting to wake up and have a conscience again.  And I thought that Mr. Weasley was at a place where he would know about the Continuum.  I mean he would be one of those people who would be interested in joining.  Draco's rather assertive, but I think it's good to have someone there who wasn't so emotional attached to the situation.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  He and most of the characters belongs to JK Rowling.   ^_^


	15. Identity Crisis

Living Memory

Chapter Fifteen: Identity Crisis

            The spell that Harry used to trace Charles Jones' wand led him and Draco to the Muggle hospital that Hermione was at earlier that day.  They came to the hospital through another entrance.  It was quiet.  Harry asked the nurse at the front if a man came in earlier.  She paged a doctor to come to the station.            

            "You are here to ask about Charles Jones.  Please come with me," said the doctor.

            Harry and Draco gave each other a glace as they followed the doctor to a smaller room and he shut the door.  "Who are you?" asked the doctor.

            "We work with Mr. Jones.  He hasn't reported back to work in while," said Harry.

            "I'm sorry.  Mr. Jones passed away about twenty minutes ago.  He had an aneurysm in his brain.  He refused to have it operated on," said the doctor quietly.  He went on to explain everything about the cause of Jones' death.

            "Not that I could blame him," muttered Draco under his breath.  He didn't like the idea of anyone opening up his skull.

            "Who was with?" asked Harry with hope that Ron was there.

            "Another young man stayed with him until he died.  He did not give his name to the staff," answered the doctor.

            "Did he have red hair?  And was he taller than us?" asked Draco.

            The doctor looked startled by Draco's questions and gave a slow nod.  "You know that man?" asked the doctor.

            "Yes, thank you, Doctor.  We will tell Mr. Jones' family about what happened.  Someone will come and collect his body later," said Harry hurriedly.

            "Wait.  The other young man left this on the nightstand," said the doctor as he pulled out a plastic bag with something inside it and handed to Harry.  

            Harry took the bag in his hand.  It was Charles Jones' wand.  He gave a nod.  They both took off after that.  

*

            Dante went back to the motel and checked out of it.  He had to move onward to a new hiding place.  He also had to buy more weapons and other items to make some bombs.  Charles told him where the Continuum gathered.  Dante checked into a more expensive hotel to use the Internet connection and to have some room service so he wouldn't have to leave his room.  

            He spent his time tracing the bank account and found that Charles Jones told the truth: the account belonged to Alexander Curtis.  Dante looked up all the information on him that he could find.  He found out that Curtis owned a biochemical firm that specialized in mind-altering drugs.  Jones talked about the memory charms, even though Dante couldn't completely understand.  However, Dante understood the part about the drugs, which Jones had called potions.  Jones told him some of the potential passwords and learned that the projects name was Project Lazarus.  Jones regrettably did not know how Muggles used computers, but he knew that all the records were kept there.  The Continuum had more to fear from the wizards than from the Muggles. 

            The company made lots of money every year.  Dante broke into financial records and traced them back to three years ago.  Some of the information was missing.  Rather, some of the expenses were unaccounted for; millions of pounds were unaccounted for.  There were certain labs set aside all over the world in fourteen different cities around the world.  However, the research remained confidential and was not part of the network Dante managed to hack into.  Dante knew that the real information he was looking for was probably locked down in one of those labs.  

            Alexander Curtis was a man who was extremely wealthy.  He graduated from a school in Germany with a degree in bioengineering and biochemistry.  He was born to an upper class family in Wales.  He was divorced from his second wife and had no children.

            Dante took all this information in.  To know his enemy, he had to know himself.  There were other members of the Continuum.  Ten more upper members that Charles told him about.  There were six wizards and witches, including Charles Jones, and there were six Muggles. 

            For Dante, the idea of wizards still seemed foreign to him.  Just like the news of having a child seemed foreign to him.  His thoughts wandered to the woman at the hospital.  She was a beautiful woman.  His hands fitted over the curve of her hips naturally as he shoved her towards the cab outside the hospital.  However, he didn't think she even looked like she had a child.  Of course, he didn't think of that at the time.

            What was going to happen next to him?  He had parents.  He learned that their names were Arthur and Molly.  Charles told him that his brother, Percy, was head of the Aurors.  An organization he worked for before.  His wife worked there as well.  Charles also had nothing, but good things to say about someone named Harry Potter.  The name sounded more familiar to him some how.  Charles told him that Harry Potter was his friend and partner.  All of this was too much for Dante to swallow.

            Ron?  That was his name.  It seemed so unnatural to him.  "_Ronald Weasley_," he whispered, carefully sounding it out.  It didn't sound right to him.  He was used to being called Dante.  He shook his head as he pulled at the chain around his neck.  He had to look at the rings again. 

            The rings were symbols of his past.  They belonged to his wife.  Dante realized that he couldn't possibly rejoined that world he had been ripped from so long ago.  He decided he had to finish his business against the Continuum.  Not for his sake, but for the sakes of Eden and the other innocent people who were destroyed by the Continuum.  Dante destroyed himself even more after he left the hospital and picked up his gun against the world.  

            He carefully made out a will of his own.  He would make it easy for them to find his belongs if anything went wrong.  The rings would be returned to his wife.  He took them off the chain and placed them into an envelope and sealed it.  And for his son, he left all the money in his Swiss Bank Account.  It was the least Dante could do for his family.  He did not want his son to know about the things he'd done.  

*

            Percy was impatiently pacing up and down the room that he and the other members of his family were in.  At first, they were talking amongst themselves, but that stopped all together.  Hermione was looking at her hands again.  Ginny was sitting next to her and leaning on her to comfort her.  

            Mr. Weasley spent his time looking straight on a point on the large table in the room.  Charlie would have been pacing, but Percy took up all the room doing that.  Fred sighed every once in awhile.  George remained silent.  Bill was sitting next to his mother with a comforting hand on her shoulder.  Mrs. Weasley looked like she was going to breakdown again at any moment.  

            There came a knock on the door.  "Enter," ordered Percy.  The door slowly opened to reveal just Harry and Draco.  

            "Where's Jones?" asked Percy.

            "He died at the Muggle hospital.  We missed Ron by about twenty minutes," said Harry without any pretense.  He dropped the plastic bag on the table.  Mr. Weasley picked it up and sighed.

            "He sold his soul.  And that was his only way out.  Death.  What about Ron?" asked Mr. Weasley.

            "He stayed with Charles Jones until he died," answered Harry.  "I think we can trace him by tracing Hermione's wand.  We have to find him soon.  He moves pretty fast and often."

            Mr. Weasley stood up and held out his wand and did the incantation that Harry preformed earlier.  His wand glowed and diminished as well.  "He's somewhere in the Muggle world, but it's difficult to trace him from here.  There's too much interference.  The place that Ron's at has a lot of magic present.  It's not going to be easy to find him," said Mr. Weasley.

            "Something bad is about to happen," said Harry.  

            "We have to find him.  I need a wand.  I think it's better that he has my wand.  It makes me feel like he has some protection.  If the Continuum has wizards, he'll at least have the wand.  Even though he may not remember how to use it, I still feel better that he has it," said Hermione.  Mr. Weasley nodded in agreement, but that didn't mean he would willingly send his daughter-in-law into danger.

            "Do you think that Charles Jones said anything about the Continuum?" asked George suddenly.

            "I would bet he did," said Harry with a nod.  "The doctor told us that he had a fatal aneurysm in his brain.  If he allowed for the operation, he would have been saved.  He also could have gone to St. Mungo's for help.  Jones got out when the opportunity presented itself."

            The room fell silent for a moment after that.  Percy went into action and ordered that all the Aurors drop other cases to find the Continuum.  If they found the Continuum, they would find Ron.  Draco and Harry set to work using Draco's contacts.  Hermione went to Diagon Alley with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny.  Fred and George volunteered to go with them, but Mrs. Weasley insisted they returned to work.  Bill refused to go back to Egypt right away, so he could protect the women when the went to get Hermione's new wand.  Charlie stayed behind in Aurors Headquarters to offer assistance by helping Percy round up more agents.  Mr. Weasley paid a visit to Mrs. Jones to deliver the news of her husband.

*

            The news of Charles Jones' sudden death came to the Continuum almost as quickly as it came to the Aurors.  Alexander Curtis met the news with little emotion.  As far as he was concerned, Charles Jones was becoming a nuisance even before Curtis ordered the murder of Skye Jones.  The Continuum had an emergency meeting to discuss the death of one of its top members.

            Alexander Curtis seemed disinterested in the whole thing until one of the wizards of the Continuum said, "The Aurors know about Jones.  Also, our inside source says that that two of the Aurors who went there, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, found out that Ronald Weasley was there until he died."

            "They know about the Continuum now," said one of the other Muggles nervously.

            "It doesn't matter," muttered Curtis out loud as he stood up.  "We have concluded this experiment.  Everything that has happened is an observation.  This whole thing was in the name of science.  This experiment was a success in some aspects.  We have come closer to breaking the genetic code of magic.  Magic is an inheritable trait from two alleles that are found in less than ten percent of the world's population."  He sounded rather satisfied with himself.

            Alexander was the one who drew out the blood from all fourteen subjects himself along with all the members of the Continuum.  Curtis had more than enough samples to generate a good representation of the wizarding world.  He was proud of his work.  So, what if the wizards had magic, he had more brains than them.  

            "Curtis!  This is a serious problem.  A problem that must be dealt with.  If the Aurors capture Ronald Weasley, then the Continuum will be destroyed.  The research went too far.  Taking those wizards and witches was a mistake!" declared one of the witches.

            "But, I didn't hear a single objection to my plan for this experiment three years ago, did I?" asked Curtis with a raised eyebrow.  No one made a sound at his statement.  He sat back down with a satisfied smile on his face.  "The problem with this experiment is we let the subjects live afterwards.  We should have just gathered the data and dispatched the subjects," he continued calmly.

            "You mean kill the test subjects?" asked one of the Muggles.

            "Yes, I say we should have killed them when we had the chance.  Brian Hunt was a disappointment because he couldn't kill Ronald Weasley, but he did take care of Samantha Adams," said Curtis.

            "What you're suggesting now is totally elimination of this experiment," said the same Muggle who spoke earlier.

            "Yes.  The test subjects have out lived their usefulness.  We should get rid of them.  That what we do with lab animals after the experiment concludes," said Curtis.  "Let's put it to a vote."

            Five hands raised up reluctantly, while five others remained down.  It was a mixture of Muggles and wizards who wanted to get rid of the rest of the test subjects.  Curtis smiled, and said, "Because Charles isn't here to vote, and we have a tie.  However, I haven't voted yet."  He raised his hand.

*

            Hermione was at Ollivander's getting a new wand.  "Hello, Mrs. Weasley.  Or should I say, Dr. Granger since another Mrs. Weasley is present," said the old shopkeeper as he spoke the three women and one man.

            "I need a new wand," said Hermione with a forced smile on her face.

            "So soon?" asked Ollivander.  Most wands lasted for years; Hermione purchased a wand only about a year ago.

            "Yes," answered Hermione.  "I seem to have lost mine."  

            "Of course," said Ollivander as he got the boxes with the unicorn hairs in them.  "I remember your husbands' wand.  Yes.  It had a unicorn hair in it.  Just like yours.  Such ashamed it was destroyed.  Try this one."  He handed her a lovely holly wand.  

            She flicked her wrist with it, but the sparks that came out made a fire on the stacks of paper that were on the counter.  "Not that one," said Ollivander as he took it back from her.  "How about this one?"

            Hermione flicked her wrist and blue sparks came from them.  Ollivander gave a smile.  "It's got unicorn hair in it.  You and your husband have the same tastes in wands.  Yes, indeed.  However, perhaps, he should have purchased another one before he started with the Aurors."  His voice sounded sad.  As a purveyor of wands, Ollivander never knew what the owners of the wands would do with them.  Some used his creations as weapons, while others like Ronald and Hermione Weasley used them to protect people.  He thought of the Potters, James and Lily.  Ron and Hermione reminded him of them.  Both couples fought against the dark forces with the wand he created.

            Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Bill said nothing.  They were uncomfortable with Ollivander talking about Ron that way.  Hermione paid ten galleons for her wand.  They walked out of the shop.  She walked with a heavier heart.  She didn't even realize she was crying until Mrs. Weasley handed her a tissue.

            "Hermione, my dear, this will end soon," said Mrs. Weasley.

            "I notice you didn't say that everything will be all right.  Because nothing is ever going to be all right again.  You didn't see what I saw in Ron at the hospital.  He could have killed me," sobbed Hermione.

            "But, he didn't.  Because he couldn't.  Even without his memories, he couldn't hurt you," said Bill softly.  

            "He hasn't got a soul anymore.  And I can't be selfish and think about having Ron back the way he is now.  He isn't the man I married.  He'll never be the man I married again.  I have to think of Tyler.  He can't have his father that way," sobbed Hermione.

            Ginny bit her lip.  Everything Hermione was saying was out of fear.  "I'm sorry, Hermione.  I stopped believing that Ron was even alive.  But, he is.  And if he is, then we have to hope that he can still come home.  You never gave up until now, Hermione.  Don't give up now," she pleaded.

            "I don't know.  I don't know if I can love him that way," said Hermione as she walked off on her own further down Diagon Alley.  Mrs. Weasley stopped Bill and Ginny from following her.  "Let her go," said Mrs. Weasley gently.

            "What are we going to do?  What if she leave Ron for real?" asked Ginny worriedly.

            "Mum…we shouldn't have let her go off on her own," added Bill. 

            "All we can do is hope that some higher power will set everything right," said Mrs. Weasley.  "For both their sakes.  And for Tyler's," she whispered more to herself than to Bill and Ginny.

*

            The Continuum set to work to eliminate the rest of the subjects of the experiment.  Some of the subjects were already dead.  They had died in Muggle mental institutions.  There were others living new lives with new spouse and families.  The Continuum ordered the elimination of these people.

            By dawn the next morning, thirteen of the fourteen subjects were dead.  There was only one subject left.  Curtis wasn't too happy with the last person to eliminate: Ronald Weasley.  He was already proven to be more dangerous than expected.  Curtis knew Jones well enough to know that he told Ron everything about the Continuum.  This made Ron even more dangerous to the Continuum.  Curtis decided to review the discs of Ronald Weasley's original harvest.

            He played the discs.  

            _Ron was in a dark room with only one bright light baring down on him.  His clothes were tattered and he had bruises and cuts on him.  Recently, he was in a battle at a warehouse in London to arrest the remaining Death Eaters cell in the world.  He raised his hands over his hand to shield himself from the light._

_            "Where am I?!" he demanded as he temper rose._

_            "You were especially selected to be part of a special group of people," said a voice that was altered by a microphone.  _

_            "I don't care…where am I?!" asked Ron again._

_            "We will ask the questions here.  Are you a pure blood wizard?" asked the voice._

            "Why the bloody hell does it matter?!" shouted Ron.  He looked down at his hand and realized that his wedding band was missing.  Hermione was going to be upset with him if he didn't have his ring.  "Where's my wedding ring?!" he shouted.  "WHERE THE FUCK IS IT?!"

            "It will be returned to you in due time, Mr. Weasley.  Answer our questions."

            "I'm not answering any of your fucking questions.  My name is Ronald Weasley.  My date of birth is the first of March, 1980.  And I am an inspector with the Aurors," he said.  He did what any good soldier did when captured.  He only gave his name, rank, and date of birth.

            It was a futile attempt.  It was only a matter of time before they broke him.

            The next disc after that was from the security camera in Ron's cell.  The staff had to hold him down as Curtis drew blood and injected drugs into his body.  Ron struggled against the staff.  He shouted and demanded to be released.  Ron Weasley gave the most trouble to Curtis during the whole trial stage when they were testing Ron's DNA.  Ron demanded to know what they were doing to him and why.  He also threatened to kill them.  After that difficult time in the cell with Ron, Curtis assigned Dr. Drake to take the rest of the samples from Ron.

            Curtis froze the discs at certain points to look at Ron more closely.  He had no idea at the time that Ron would cause him so much trouble.  He thought that breaking Ron would be easy as soon as Ron's memories were wiped clean.  Curtis had no idea that Ron would rise up and be the bane of his existence and that Ron would threaten to take everything he worked for.

            Finally, Curtis looked at the last disc he had on Ron from the archives.  He decided that it was his favorite.

            "This is the most important part of the experiment, Mr. Weasley," said Dr. Drake  in a smooth voice.  He was inside one of his laboratories in London.  He looked up toward the observation window Charles Jones along with the other members of the Continuum stood still as they watched.  Only some of the members got to see the others undergo the process that Ron was about to undertake.  However, each member got to see this procedure before.  Charles just returned from Boston to see to Samantha Adams.  Alexander was on the ground level with Dr. Drake and Ron to see the proceedings up close.  The Continuum decided to see the last procedure together.  

            "I don't care.  Why am I bolted down to this chair?" he demanded.  His arms were strapped down along with his legs  there were straps all over him.  He struggled against them.  "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO ME?!" he shouted as fear overtook him.  

            "It will only hurt for a moment," said Dr. Drake in a less than convincing voice.  "Start the procedure," he ordered another technical at the controls who nodded.  A mechanical came from the wall with a very large needle.  Ron's eyes widened in horror as he renewed his futile struggle against the straps.  There was as strap at his forehead that prevented him from turning.  

            "It will hurt more if you keep struggling like that," chided Dr. Drake.  

            "NO!  NO!  PLEASE NO!  SOMEONE HELP ME!" shouted Ron.  The needle pierced through his jugular just at the bottom of his chin.  He let out a scream that didn't sound remotely human.  The drugs were being pumped into his body.  Finally, his screaming stopped all together.  

            "Let's do the second part now.  Why don't you do the honors Charles, since you selected him?" asked Curtis as he turned to the observation window.  Charles looked startled, but apparated down to the where the lab work was taking place.

            "Remove the straps," ordered Charles as he drew out his wand.  The technician gave a look to Curtis first.

            "Do what he said.  He's unconscious.  He won't be any trouble," assured Dr. Drake.  The technician tentatively took of the restraints.  Charles stepped forward.

          Charles chanted a spell that helped Ron regained some consciousness for a fleeting moment before uttering the last word that would destroy Ron forever, "Oblivate."  He performed the most powerful memory that any wizard could perform and wiped away all of Ron's memories.  The camera was able to capture the guilty look that Charles had on his face.

            Curtis let the disc run until it was a blank screen.  He decided that if Ron Weasley wanted to come at him, then he would let him.  Curtis was able to handle Ron before, and he was positive he could still control him. 

            He had cold, logically science on his side.  Ron didn't even know who he really was.  Even if he was Dante now, Curtis wasn't that impressed.  Besides, as a scientist, he wanted to see Dante in action to see if any of Dante's magic was still there.

AN: Curtis is worse than Jones.  Big surprise there.  Ah, but vengeance is a dish best served cold.  What Hermione is going through is perfectly naturally.  It would be different if it was just her, but there's also Tyler.  Little by little, I bring out a bit more of the old Ron.  Only the old Ron would think of taking care of his family in case anything happened to him.  I hope that last part wasn't too graphic or too cruel.  Stop feeling so sorry for Hermione, think of poor Ron here.  He's going to be kicking…ahem…killing a lot of more people soon.  I love the whole international conspiracy thing.  I don't know what kind of wand Hermione has.  Does anyone know?  

Too many scene changes here, but it reflects the momentum I want for the story.  There are some things left to speculate about.  Curtis is the real villain here.  A mad scientist if I do say so myself.  Any guesses on who goes next?  There are still a lot of people who can die here.  A lot of people were killed off in this chapter.  Gee, what a blood bath this is turning out to be.  ^_^

As for those of you who complained about the grammar mistakes, sorry about that.  But, as I have said before, I really can't do anything about it right now.  So, stop saying it.  Unless, you are offering to beta read, I already know the problems I have.  When I re-read, I notice.  (BTW, I do a good Homer Simpson impression at that point: D'OH) Of course, by that time it's too late because a bunch of people already reviewed it.  For the next story planned, I'll be trying out beta readers.  If you are interested in the being my beta reader, then go to my website and read the rants section.  Go to _http://dreamforest.yoll.net/rants/notfanfiction.html_.  There you will find out what my theories about fanfiction are and what I think makes a good fanfic.  Or you could just read it if you want to know how to make a fanfic.  I'll take a look at any offers, and make a final decision.

The next fic planned is influenced by comic books and television like the Witchblade and Smallville.  In honor of the Spiderman movie, I've decided to create my own superhero fic.  Complete with powers, relationships, and hidden identities.  The beta reader chosen will probably get to read the first two chapters of this story prior to posting.  However, remember you will have to deal with me.  It's still a long way off.  Living Memory will take a few more chapters.   Yes, I'm evil.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I'm just some crackpot with a laptop.  


	16. Interlude Towards the End

Living Memory

Chapter Sixteen: Interlude Towards the End

            In London, there is a small, but renowned clinic for mental health patients ran by one of the top psychiatrists in the country, Dr. Damon Drake.  He was an expert in topics about memory and how the mind retrieved information.  Most of he real research was never presented to the entire public to see.  It was his research on wizarding memory charms and their effects that never got to be seen by most of the world.  He was proud of his work on Project Lazarus.  He wanted to see if people would revert back to basic human nature when everything they had, including their memories, were taken away from them.  

            However, Dr. Drake received word that thirteen of his original test subjects were eliminated, except for one.  He remembered the last one: Ronald Weasley.  Dr. Drake never encountered such resistance from the others.  Dr. Drake thought that he was safe when his visitation time with Ron at the hospital in London concluded.  Dr. Drake knew better now.  He knew that he would never be safe as long as Ron was out there.  Ron swore he would hunt down all of them and kill each of them.  

            The experiment was now official terminated and only one of the test subjects had to be eliminated.  Dr. Drake was drinking something to calm his nerves and the waves in his stomach.  He locked himself in his clinic in London because of the high tech security system that fooled him into thinking he was safe.

            One of the security guards decided to his rounds outside of the security control room.  As he turned a corner, he didn't hear the shots as they came into his chest.  He only had time to look down long enough at the holes in him just before he died.  A man dressed to kill in a tailored suit with a black tie and sliver shirt emergence from the darkness in the corner.  He threw a thin dagger that shivered the wires in the security camera.  

            "What just happened?" asked the head of security to one of her other men as the picture went out.

            "I don't know," answered another security guard.  The head of security picked up her walkie-talkie to call on the guard who was just shot.  "Mason.  Do you read me, Mason?  Over and out," she said.  

            There was only static.  She furrowed her brow and picked up the phone.  She managed to get the extension of Dr. Drake just as a knock came at the door.  "See who it is," she said to the guard closest to the door.  "Maybe, it's Mason," she added.

            A rain of bullets from a gun with a silencer came as soon as the door opened.  The head of security looked stricken with panic.    The man with the gun aimed it straight between her eyes.  She looked at him wide eyed just as he took his shot.  

            "Bridgett, what is it?" asked Dr. Drake on his line.  "Bridgett, can you hear me?  Bridgett.  Bridgett!"  His voice quivered with fear as another voice came on the line.  It was a familiar voice, and now terror filled Dr. Drake.  "Bridgett is not available any more.  I'll come by myself and give you the message I gave her," said Dante.  There came an audible click at the end of the line.  Dr. Drake looked at the phone with horror and slammed it down.  

            He had to get out before Dante got to him.  He scrambled and picked up the most valuable research he had in his possession: Project Lazarus.  Dr. Drake never heard the door open in his frantic packing.  By the time he looked up, it was too late.

            "P-please…y-you d-don't k-know w-what y-you're d-d-doing," stammered Dr. Drake as he stumbled back into his chair.  Dante walked straight into his office without his gun drawn.

            "Why?" asked Dante simply.

            "I-I w-was o-o-rdered to…y-you m-m believe me," pleaded Dr. Drake.

            "And that's what the Nazi under Hitler said.  They also preformed experiments on people.  They took away peoples' humanity and made them into nothing more, but lab rats.  Do you know what happened to them?" whispered Dante.

            "W-what?" whispered Dr. Drake.  He knew what happened to those scientists, but he hoped to stall Dante.  

            "This," answered Dante as he flicked his wrist a bullet seemed to fly out at the same time.  Dr. Drake slumped over in his chair.  Dante walked over to his desk and picked up the files and folders that he left.  He looked through his brief case and grabbed everything that he thought was useful.  

            Dante walked over the to the different parts of the office and install charges.  He ignored all the bodies of the people he killed.  They deserved what happened to them.  He did not care at all.  He walked outside to the car he rented and dropped everything into the front seat without getting inside first.  He put on his shades and took out the detonator.  He pressed the button and blew up Dr. Drake's dream.  The dream that Dr. Drake built at the expense of Ronald Weasley's life along with thirteen other people.

*

The Aurors worked for hours on end.  Percy worked tirelessly for more than five hours straight ordering the others to deploy at a moment's notice.  The Aurors had to be ready to face off with the Continuum and bring Ron home.  Charlie was trying to get Percy to take a break for some tea, but he refused.

            Penelope dropped by to find the Aurors in so much activity.  She brought with her Tyler.  "Where's Mummy?" asked Tyler with a pout.  He was asking for her.  He had been for the last two hours.  Penelope held him tightly.  "I don't know, Love," she said as she looked around.  "Looks like your uncle and mummy are very busy," she added, regretting that she came down to the office when her husband was obviously too busy.

            "Ty!" called out a familiar voice.  Tyler and Penelope looked ahead to see Charlie come towards them.   "Don't you remember me?  It's been a couple of weeks.  I'm your Uncle Charlie," he said.  

            Tyler gave a little shrug.  "Where's Mummy?" he asked Penelope again.  It seemed like every redheaded man he saw was an uncle.  He had five uncles.  One grandfather.  And no Daddy in sight.  Charlie pouted and pulled him out of Penelope's arms.  Tyler gave a little cry.  "I WANT MY MUMMY!" he shouted tearfully.  It had been a long day.  His mummy was gone for so long.  She left him with Auntie Penny for so long.  He wanted his mother.  Charlie jerked his head back from the screaming.  

            "His lung capacity's improved since the last time you saw him, Charlie," said Penelope.  

            "I've notice.  I've dealt with dragons, and I've never been scared.  Now, I'm scared," quipped Charlie as he kept his head jerked back away from Tyler's head.  Charlie rubbed his back to calm him down.

            "Mummy.  Mummy.  Mummy.  Mummy," repeated Tyler over and over again.  "I want my mummy."

            "You know he wasn't like this earlier," said Penny as she also tried to rub Tyler's back.  Tyler felt like his mother had forgotten about him.  He felt abandoned.  

            "I was wondering who was crying," said Percy.  "Hello, dear," he said to his wife.  Penelope gave him a kiss on his cheek.  He shook his head at the crying child.  "Hand him to me," he said.

            "What?  I have had more experience with children than you, my younger brother," said Charlie in surprise as he tried to juggle Tyler who was squirming in his arms.  The child was obviously in distress.  

            "MUMMY!" Tyler shrieked in a very high-pitched voice.  All the Aurors at work, looked up in surprised.  Someone made the joke of there being a banshee in the office.  Percy took his wailing nephew.  "Shh.  Hush, now.  That's it, baby," he murmured gently.  He took Tyler away with him.

            "I've been trying to get him to take a break for the past three hours," said Charlie as he watched Percy calm Tyler down.

            "And I've been trying to get Tyler to stop crying for the past two hours.  Looks like we've wasted our time," said Penelope with a smile.  "What's going on?" she asked.

            "We've found his father.  And I still say that what Percy has with him is beginner's luck.  He was never able to calm down Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny when they were younger," said Charlie with a slight smile as he watched them.  Tyler's blue eyes focused straight into Percy's as he told him that he wanted very much to see his mummy.  Percy promised Tyler that his mother would come soon.  Tyler seemed to believe what his uncle told him, so he went on to tell Percy about his day with Penelope.  Percy laughed and told Tyler not to steal Penelope away from him.  Penelope didn't know what to say.  She looked at her husband with their nephew.  She wondered if he would be that good with their children.

            "News just came in from the Muggles," said Harry hurriedly as he and Draco came in.  "There's been an explosion at a clinic ran by Damon Drake.  He's listed as one of the doctors who treated Ron.  And he was a consultant for Life Enterprises Insurance."

            Percy looked up in surprise.  He distracted because he was trying to comfort his small nephew.  "Daddy?" asked Tyler.  He knew his father's name was Ron.  Percy quickly handed him off to Charlie.  "Daddy?  I want Daddy," said Tyler further.

            "Soon.  Why don't you just go back to asking for your mummy?" asked Charlie.  He didn't like what going to happen next.

            "No.  I want Daddy," insisted Tyler.

            "I think it just go worse," said Penelope with a sigh.  

            "I want Daddy," declared Tyler with renewed energy.  "Daddy!  Daddy!  Daddy!"

            Harry ignored the look that Draco had on his face.  It pretty much said "What a brat."  Harry picked up his little godson.  "I promise I'll bring your Daddy and Mummy soon, but you must behave yourself.  Do you understand me?" asked Harry as he looked straight into Tyler's blue orbs.

            "You promise, Uncle Harry?" asked Tyler.

            "Of course, I have never broken my promise," answered Harry as he kissed his godson on the forehead.  

            "Now that we've gotten the touchy, feely family moments out of the way, can we please move on, Potter?  You're making me sick," said Draco.

            Harry glared at him.  "He's mean," said Tyler about Draco to Harry.

            "That's right.  Put the baby down, Potter," said Draco.  "We have to get back to work."

            "Be good," said Harry with a smile to his godson.  He always knew that Tyler was a smart boy.  "Bye," he said as he walked away.

            "Bye, Uncle Harry.  Bye, bye Meanie," said Tyler as he waved to Harry and Draco.  Harry let out a snicker as they walked towards Percy's office.  

            "Little Weasel.  He's just a pint sized version of his father," muttered Draco.  

            "That's right.  And if you say anything further, or even think of insulting my godson I'm going to hex you, Malfoy," said Harry defensively.

            Draco smirked at him.  "What happened with the Muggles anyway?  Who is Dr. Drake?" asked Percy as he looked at the mounting stacks of profiles he had to look at.  

            "He's a psychiatrists with a degree from Cambridge.  He works in potions.  And is an expert on the fluids in the brain," said Malfoy.

            "I'll dispatched others to go and talk to the Scotland Yard.  Those Muggles there seem to know a lot about what's going on most of the time in the Muggle world," said Percy.  "I'll relieve the both of you.  You've been here for more than twelve hours."

            "I don't think so.  We're just getting started.  Besides, I would recommend the same to you, Percy," said Harry boldly.  

            "I see.  Then go to the clinic look at the wreckage.  Report back to me.  I'm going to go and talk to the other departments to get more people to help out here.  Nothing else has more priority than getting to the Continuum," Percy ordered.  

            "What about your brother?" asked Draco.  

            Percy sighed.  "We'll have to bring him in.  He's done a lot of damage," he said softly.

            "Only because of what the Continuum did," said Harry angrily.  He and Draco went to investigate the explosion.  Percy slumped down in his chair.  Outside, he could hear his nephew crying.

*

            Hermione walked until she was out of Diagon Alley.  She never felt so helpless in her life.  Her husband was not the man she married, but something else.  Something dark and cold.  He could have killed her.  She gritted her teeth as her thoughts went over to the Continuum.

            They were performing tests on different kinds of wizards and witches with different pedigrees.  Ron had the ideal pedigree for a pure blood.  Both his parents were from long lines of wizards and witches.  Hermione was only a Muggle born witch.  If Ron's parents were like Draco Malfoy's, she would have never had a chance of marrying someone with Ron's bloodlines.  He only had one squib in his family, a cousin on his mother's side.  Family gatherings with both sides present were always difficult to arrange.  While Hermione's parents were all right with her being a witch, the rest of the family did not know that she was one.  The rest of her family thought that the man she married abandoned her.  

            She folded her arms over her chest.  Her breasts ached.  Even though Tyler was old enough not to take any milk from her, he still drank from her every once in a while.  Her body still produced some.  Tyler didn't drink any more, but her breasts still ached.  At first, it was so hard to get Tyler to eat anything.  He came into the world knowing he was missing something in his life.

            Her thoughts were now focused on her son.  Ron would never be the same again, and there was no way of knowing if he would ever came back.  If Hermione was going to live for something, it would have to be for her son.  She sighed and realized that feeling sorry for herself, Ron, and Tyler wasn't going to help any of them.  For the past few years, her life seemed frozen in time.  It was time to wake up and realize that the world was moving forward.

            Hermione had to bring her husband home, and prevent him from doing any more damage.  His strife came from the Continuum.  They released him upon the world in that condition.  They stole her husband away from her.  It was time to fight back in her own way.  She apparated back to the Aurors' headquarters and found that her child was in a lot of distress.

            "What's wrong with him?" asked Hermione.  Tyler was squirming in Charlie's arms.  He refused to face her and talk to her.  "Baby, what's wrong?"

            "I want my daddy," he said tearfully.  His voice was muzzled by his uncle's shoulder.  Charlie stroked his back.  "He's been saying that for while.  He was also crying for you," said Charlie.

            "It's okay, Baby.  Mummy's here," said Hermione as she pulled her son off of Charlie.  Tyler's little body stiffened.  Hermione bit her bottom lip.  Her son was rejecting her.  "Tyler…please," she pleaded.  Tyler's mouth opened wide in a long tearful scream.  She did the only thing she could, she pulled him close to her body.  She whispered into his ears, telling him he was fine.  She told him that she missed him as much as he missed her.  Nothing she could say could make her baby feel any better.  She could feel his little heart beating so quickly.  "I want my daddy," he said again.  

            "I know, Baby.  I promise you.  Mummy will bring Daddy home to you," said Hermione with resolution.  She was going to have to drag Ron back home no matter what.

            "Uncle Harry said he would," said Tyler.  

            "He did?" asked Hermione, grateful that she wasn't the only one who made such a promise to Tyler.

            "Yes," said Tyler.  "Uncle Harry can do anything."

            "Your father can do more," said Hermione softly as she kissed his forehead.  He was sweaty from all the tantrums he pulled that day.  She sensed that he was falling asleep because he didn't answer her back.  "Thank you," she whispered to Charlie.  

            "No problem.  I can't blame him.  We all want his father back.  I think he's asking for him because everyone here is looking for him.  You have a very perceptive son," commented Charlie.  Hermione motioned for Charlie to come with her to her office.  She noticed that Penelope wasn't there and assumed that Penelope was with Percy.  Percy was working harder than anyone of Ron's siblings.  Hermione knew why.  Percy was always so proud of his younger brother's accomplishments, and he was also protective of his brother.  Ron would complain that Percy was too much of a stickler for the rules, but Hermione knew that Percy only wanted to keep Ron safe.  He thought it was his duty as Ron's older brother.  

            "What's going to happen next, Charlie?" asked Hermione.

            "I don't know.  What happened with my mum, Bill, and Ginny?" he asked.

            "I just left them behind and wandered around to clear my head.  I realized that he's my first priority.  If Ron had his mind in tact, he would agree with me," she replied as she rubbed the shoulder of sleeping son.  She used to spend her time watching him sleep because she was afraid of Tyler dying in his sleep.  

            "His mind is there.  It's his memories that are gone," said Charlie.

            "You didn't see him the way I did.  He was so cold.  His eyes looked soulless.  I thought he was going to kill me," whispered Hermione softly.  She rubbed her son's back.  She knew how much Tyler looked like his father; there was a time when Ron was just like Tyler, sleeping peacefully unaware of the world's real dangers.  

            "So, you'll abandon Ron because he isn't the way he was before?" asked Charlie.

            "I don't know," whispered Hermione as her remained focused on Tyler's sleeping form.

            "Well, I think you have to think about it.  If you think today was bad with Tyler, then imagine how much worse it will be when he's older and finds out that you had the chance to bring his father back but didn't," said Charlie gently as he stood up and let himself out of the office.  

            Hermione wanted nothing more but to pick up her son and hug him.  She couldn't do that without waking him up.  So, she contented herself by just watching him sleep.

*

            Dante looked through the files and disks he got from Dr. Drake's labs and clinic.  He felt surprisingly hollow inside.  Dante was well aware of the fact that with each person he killed, the larger the void in him grew.  He had no idea what a good person he once was until Charles Jones told him.  

            Dante shook his head.  Dante was no longer Ronald Weasley, but a shell of what used to him.  He thought of the life he once had.  The life that the Continuum stole away from him.  He found that the files had dates on them.  It was information on the hospitals that the wizards and witches were dropped at after the drugs and the spells were used on them.  The only thing the files seemed to do was make Dante even more angry as he went along reading them.  His biography was written out in one of the files.  It was one thing to hear from someone, but it was another thing to read it.  It was solid proof that he was once Ronald Weasley.  

            The files on each subject was written out meticulously with information on each subjects pedigree.  Dante read and found out that he had six siblings in all.  Charles only really mentioned Percy Weasley.  The fact only made him sadder because he could not remember them at all.  It was just another set of facts were part of Ronald Weasley's life, not Dante's.   His siblings weren't condemned to Hell like he was.

            Another file held lists of potential test subjects from all over the world.  Under pure bloods, there were names listed and most of them came from Europe.  Charles Jones said that he was in charge of getting a pure blood, and most pure bloods that the Continuum wanted were found on the "old" continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia.  Charles was also the one who could get his hands on a pure blood because of his connections and influence.  A name that looked familiar on the list was the name of the man Dante saw at the cemetery earlier, Draco Malfoy.  However, Ronald Weasley's name was the one checked off the list.  There were fourteen checks in all.  The other potential test subjects were left alone, but Dante wondered why.

            Furthermore, he found that there were dates written when each of the other thirteen test subjects died.  Eight of them had the same date of death, but at different times of the same day.  Dante thought grimly that they were most likely eliminated because the experiment had run amuck.  It was another thing that Dante blamed himself for because he felt responsible for causing their deaths.    The other set of files held the names of other Continuum members.  Dante could look up their addresses and information easily.

            The discs held great interest to Dante.  He noticed that they were mini disks, so he used his computer and found out that he need a player for them.  They were copies of video disks from the achieves that the Continuum had as part of their research.  He called the lobby of the hotel and ordered that a player be brought to him.  He was paying a lot of money, so the staff was more than happy to provide all of his needs.  He picked up one of the disks and looked at it.

            He thought of locking everything in the safe for the time being until he could view the disks.  Dante looked at the safe and decided not to.  In the safe were the rings that belonged to his wife and his will that left everything in his account to his son.  He didn't want any of the Continuum's dirty "research" results and observations touching what belonged to his family.  Dante thought of going back to his family again, but he knew that wasn't really possibly.

            His mind flashed back to the day at the hospital.  The woman who said she was his wife was frightened of him.  Dante couldn't take back what he did to her.  He didn't trust her, and he was sure that she didn't trust him either.  He couldn't even remember being in love with her, let alone being married to her.  And Dante knew that his son didn't even know who he was.  There was something he could remember about being married.

            He closed his eyes and purposely tried to see the memories of making love to his wife.  Yes, she had tendrils of silky brown hair that he could feel looping around his fingers.  Her skin was soft like velvet.  He remembered how she trembled slightly.  He closed his eyes to allow them to focus on her face.  As if under a microscope, his vision of the woman in his dreams came into focus.  It was the woman in the hospital.  She wasn't just his wife, but the mother of his child.

            Dante wondered how his son looked like.  Would he recognize his own son if he saw him?  Did the child have red hair and blue eyes like him?  Was a good boy?  What was his favorite food?  What was his favorite color?  Bedtime story?  Toy?  Dante shook his head because he didn't know the answer to all those questions.  Most fathers would know the answers to those questions.  They were simple questions that Dante couldn't answer.   

            A call finally came from the downstairs and a bellhop brought up the player as Dante requested.  Dante set it up himself and played the disks.  It didn't take many disks for Dante to know what happened to him and others.  He saw various disks from the other subjects.  Women and men who were trapped and he saw the last part of the experiment.  The particular video he viewed was the one about Samantha Adams, otherwise known as Eden Martin.  Dante's hands turned into fists as he sat there watching the whole thing.  The last set of disks that he viewed were Ronald Weasley's.  Dante recognized himself on the screen.  

            The last video was the last straw.  When he saw the video, he gave him flashbacks in his mind when he saw the needle coming at him with the drugs that wiped out his memory.  He saw Charles Jones administer the memory charm.  As soon as the video was over, Dante picked up the player and slammed it against the wall.  The player smashed completely in the back, leaving small black pieces on the floor.  Inside, the last disk remained in tact.  

            Dante was heaving for air as he sank back down on the sofa.  His entire life was stolen from him along with the lives of other people.  Most of them were killed off by the Continuum.  Who was going to fight for them now?  Who was going to avenge their deaths?  His life now wasn't life, but a nightmare of his own creation.  He had to finish what he started. 

            The Continuum created Dante by taking away Ronald Weasley.  They created him and now they were going to have to pay for it.  One life at a time.  One death at a time.

AN: I thought it was worth seeing more of Tyler here.  He's been kind of neglected for the last couple of chapters.  He's a lot like his father.  And you reviewers think he's cute.  Sure, he was being a little bratty here.  Come on, he's two and his mummy left him alone with other people.  Most children get anxiety when their mothers are gone for too long, and I'm not saying because I'm a psych major.  I'm saying this from experience.  Tyler's loosely based on my three-year-old nephew.  About the breast milk thing, it's a combination of symbolism, and some mothers out there refuse to stop breast-feeding their babies.  It's a mother thing don't question it.  Draco is not a bad guy here; there's a simple reason why he wasn't selected for the experiment instead of Ron.  

Also, note this is will be the last chapter until later next week.  I've got midterms to take.  ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  


	17. The Gates of the Inferno

Living Memory

Chapter Seventeen: The Gates of the Inferno

            "Yes, good day to you, too," said a woman dressed in an expensive business suit.  She waved goodbye and walked over to her Mercedes.  She checked her make up in the mirror and looked around her.  She was not very comfortable because one of the people who worked under her was recently murdered and his lab was destroyed.

            Mary St. John was one of the Muggles on the Continuum, one of the most powerful secret organizations in the world.  She knew about wizards and the hidden world of wizards.  Her job was to help fund the projects that the Continuum had going.  She was also one of the people who didn't vote for the elimination of the test subjects.

            Her instincts told her at the time it was a bad idea.  She thought it was best to just go after Dante first, instead of aggravating him further by killing the other test subjects.  According to sources, the lab was blown up.  However, there was no way of knowing if Dante took out any sensitive material as he left.  Mary knew that he would have.  

            She finally turned on the engine to her car only to find that the stereo turned on.  "Hello, Mary St. John of the Continuum," said a cold voice.  Her eyes widened in panic as she moved her hand to open to door.  "Sorry.  You cannot leave alive," said the voice; it was male with an English accent.  The locks on the doors automatically locked into place, trapping Mary in the car.  

            "OH MY GOD!" screamed Mary as she tried to open the doors, but they refused to budge.  She pounded on her shatter proof windows in a futile effort to get out of the car.

            "Elimination.  Extermination.  Three.  Two.  One," said the voice as Mary's eyes widened the car exploded.  The car was ablaze with one of the tires rolling carelessly into the street as people scrambled to call for the police.  There was screams of panic from onlookers and cars ran into each other in the excitement.  

            In a nearby corner, sitting at a café for breakfast was Dante on his cell phone.  He was closing it and putting into his pocket.  He also slipped one remote control that had a detonator in it. As people scrambled to help, he merely sipped his tea.  The day was looking up for him.  

*

            "Another explosion in London," said one of the Aurors that reported to Percy.

            "Who was it that died?" asked Percy as he looked through the incoming reports.

            "Mary St. John," replied the Auror.  Percy was looking at different crime reports from the Muggles.  Ron was causing all his damage in the Muggle world, so Percy was keeping an eye out for reports.

            "According to this, Mary St. John was head of a chemical plant in Scotland, but she conducted business in London," said the Auror.

            "Thank you.  You're dismissed," said Percy.  He looked at the report.  The Scotland Yard found parts of a bomb.  As far as they knew, the bomb was remote control activated.  Percy shut his eyes at that point because he didn't understand most of the Muggle jargon he was reading.  He needed Hermione or Harry to read the report and interpret for him.  

            "You look tired," said a voice at his doorway.  Percy looked up and saw Hermione standing there.

            "You look tired, too.  I thought I told you to get some rest," said Percy.

            "You did.  And I decided to come back as early as I could.  There's no way you're going to take me off this case," said Hermione as she folded her arms over her chest defiantly.  

            "I know.  I know.  You've been like a younger sister to me since you were eleven," said Percy with a sigh.  "What about Tyler?" 

            "He's with his Nana and Papa.  I thought that your parents were under enough stress, so I've left my parents at Tyler's mercy," said Hermione with a weak smile.  Tyler was happy to be at his Nana and Papa.  He more than happily left Hermione's arms to go them, and it hurt Hermione's feelings more when he did that.

            "Here's another report from the Scotland Yard.  There was an explosion.  A woman was murdered in her car," said Percy as he handed Hermione the report.  He added, "I did not think that Muggles had that kind of weaponry.  The way they kill each other is brutal."

            "You'd be surprise at what kind of weapons Muggles can come up with.  This case has taught the pure bloods one important fact about the Muggles: we should never underestimate them just because they don't have magic.   Of course, the Continuum made an even bigger mistake," said Hermione as she skimmed through the file.

            "What?"

            "They underestimated the strength of a human being's will to survive," she replied.  "Do you think she was a Continuum member?"

            "According to her files, some of the money from her company went to Life Enterprises Insurance.  The answer is a yes," said Percy.

            "What are we going to do?  It's pretty obvious that Ron's going to take all of them out," said Hermione grimly.  She didn't need Percy to tell her that Ron caused the Mary St. John's car to explode.

            "We have to round up as many of the Continuum members as possible.  We don't know how many, but I think we have a chance to protect them from Ron until we unravel this whole mess," said Percy.

            "What about the wizards of the Continuum?  They won't be easy to find.  And there's guarantee that we can find all the Muggles of the Continuum in time.  They won't willingly reveal themselves and come with us for protection?  I want these people to pay for what they did to Ron.  For what they did to me and everyone else," said Hermione.

            "I know, Hermione.  We need some people alive as witnesses to this crime.  Ron's in no position to act as a witness.  In fact, I'm afraid that Ron's going to have charges brought up against him," said Percy sadly.  

            "What?  You can't bring up charges against him!  He did all this because of what they did to him!" said Hermione.

            "It's not me who will bring up the charges.  It's the Ministry.  If we don't resolve this problem soon, they'll bring in the Hit Men," said Percy.  

            Hermione's eyes widened in fear.  "No!  The Ministry can't do that!  It's Ron.  They could kill him!" shouted Hermione in panic.

            Percy gripped her shoulders gently.  "I'm still head of the Aurors.  I told them as long as I was the head, there was no way they could bring in the Hit Men.  They said that I was too close to the case and they might relieve me of my position.  I told them to go to Hell.  I told them to give me one more week and then send the Hit Men in.  That was all they would give me.  So, here's the plan I've devised.  We round up as many of the Muggle Continuum members as possible and hold them in protective custody.  Ron will be looking for them," said Percy as calmly as possible.

            "You mean use them as bait," said Hermione.

            "Yes.  Look, they didn't exact treat Ron humanly.  I won't do the same for them.  We'll be there and protect them, but that doesn't mean we can't use them.  I don't know if this plan will work because if this continues there won't be anymore people left to prosecute.  And if there's no one left, I'm afraid that Ron will have to face charges.  We just have to find him and deal with the rest later," said Percy.

            Hermione looked straight into Percy's eyes.  She never thought that Percy would come up with a plan that was filled with so much uncertainty.  Percy always planned for any contingence and he always had a backup plan.  What made him head of the Aurors at such a young age was his gift as a strategist.  The only person who could beat Percy at chess was Ron.  Percy was up against Ron.  

            "Just as long as he's brought back alive," said Hermione with a sigh.   

            "That's something I'll guarantee myself," said Percy.  She noticed that he was dressed in Muggle clothes. 

            "You're going out into the Muggle world?" asked Hermione in alarm.  

            "Yes.  I can do it.  If Ron could do it before when he still had his memories, then I can do it, too," said Percy.  "I won't go alone.  I'll be joining Harry and Draco for the search."

            Hermione dropped into the chair that was in front of Percy's desk.  Her legs couldn't support her from the shock.  "No, you can't put yourself into danger like that.  Let Harry and Draco handle it.  You don't know how the Muggle world really works that well," she said hurriedly.

            "I know that you're worried, Hermione.  I can't just sit here and wait for news to arrive.  I've had enough of this.  I am an Auror.  Just because I push papers, it doesn't mean I am not capable of being in the field," said Percy as he picked up his wand.  

             Hermione stood up and looked up at him.  "I can't lose another member of my family," she whispered.

            "You won't.  I'll bring my brother home," said Percy.  They both walked out of his office where they found Draco tapping his foot impatiently, and Harry looking very solemn.  

            "I'm coming also," said Hermione suddenly.

            Percy turned to face her.  "I can't let you come with us," he said immediately.  Harry was relieved that he stopped her.

            "No, I'll come.  I have more field experience than you do.  There's three of you.  That means that someone's back won't be covered," insisted Hermione defiantly.

            "I agree with her," said Draco.

            "What?  Are you insane?  She could get hurt!" exclaimed Harry.

            "Harry James Potter, I can handle myself," said Hermione with a power glare.

            "Look, I only agree with her because we're wasting time arguing.  The body count is going up with each passing day.  We have to stop Weasley," said Draco calmly.

            Hermione was shocked at his support.  She never thought that Draco Malfoy would support someone he called "Mudblood" for years.  Nonetheless she was grateful for his support.  Percy's brow furrowed in thought and he gave a curt nod.  "Fine.  We're wasting time talking here.  Harry will cover you, Hermione," ordered Percy.  

            "Oh, fine.  I got some news anyway.  There are more people getting killed each day.  However, by tracing the public records of Life Enterprises and using some Muggle detective work, I would out that they have offices outside of London.  It's into the Moors close to Wales.  The location is still unknown.  It's fairly vague," said Harry.

            "When did you do that?" asked Draco incredulously.

            "When you were busy trying to hack into the Continuum computer systems," responded Harry with a smirk.  

            "Then, let's go.  Ron's stayed one step ahead of us each time, and I don't doubt he may already know about this," said Percy.

            "Sir," said one of the agents.  Percy whirled around.  "What is it?  We're about to leave," he said impatiently.

            "There's word on the search.  Um…Inspector Weasley's hotel has been found," said the agent as he handed the piece of parchment where the address and room number was written down.

            "Let's go there first," said Hermione.  "He might have something there that we can us.  He might have the exact location written down somewhere.  Or we can figure out the pattern."

            The four of them apparated to the hotel.  Percy wanted to avoid going through the front lobby, so they apparated to Ron's room directly.  Draco gave a low whistle at the impressive room.  It was huge.  

            "Looks like the Jacks are paid a lot for what they do," said Draco quietly.  Harry glared at him.  Hermione ignored them as she walked up to the player that was on the floor.  She looked at the pieces of black plastic on the carpet. 

            "It looks neat except for that," observed Percy as he pointed at the player in Hermione's hands.  

            "There's got to be some papers here," said Harry as he walked towards the safe in the room.  "Alohomora," he said as the lock opened.  He was glad that the spell wasn't limited to normal doors.  Harry picked up a manila envelope and handed it to Percy.

            Percy opened it and dumped the contents on the table in the room.  Two rings bounced out and made a clunk as they hit the table.  "My rings," whispered Hermione as she set the player on the table and picked them up.  Percy looked inside the envelope and pulled out a piece of folded paper.  He skimmed the note and looked up at everyone's expectant look.  "It's a will.  Ron wrote out a will just in case he didn't make it.  It leaves his money to Tyler," he whispered.

            "We're getting no where.  Somewhere in here is the information we need," said Draco as he started looking around.  Percy and Hermione stood still.  He handed her the letter for her to read.

            Harry looked under the bed.  There was something taped underneath.  It was the disks in a box.  "Look at what I found," said Harry.  

            Draco looked at the paintings on the wall.  He decided to move them and found that there were folders taped behind the paintings.  "And look at theses," said Draco.

            Hermione snapped out of the trance she was in.  And picked recorder back up.  "Hopefully, this still works," she said as she plugged it in.  "There's a disk already in there."

            "Let's watch it," said Harry.  Percy had really no idea what they were talking about, so he watched as a black screen turned into a moving picture.  It only took a few minutes before they all saw the horror that Ron experience.

            When the screen went black, everyone paled over.  Hermione had tears slipping down her cheeks as she looked up to Percy.  His face was dangerous impassive.  His eyes flashed to anger slowly.  "Those bastards!" shouted Percy.  

            Draco looked startled.  He had no idea that Muggles were capable of such cruelty.  Their cruelty was at the sophisticated level of wizards.  It sent chills down his spine.

            Harry looked rather pale as he reached over to comfort Hermione.  "We have to find him," whispered Harry as he looked up at Percy who was pacing around the room.

            "I'm tempted to just let him kill those fucking bastards off!" roared Percy.  

            "They could kill Ron.  That Curtis…he's evil.  He's capable of killing off Ron," sobbed Hermione.

            "Um…I'd have to agree with that," said Draco as he skimmed the folders.

            "What are you reading?" asked Harry in hoarse voice.

            "Eight of the test subjects were killed off," said Draco.  "On the same day," he added.  Percy stopped in his tracks.

            "We have to find out where Ron is now!" shouted Percy.  "Can we find Hermione's wand in here?" he asked as he took out his wand and tried the tracing spell.

            While Percy was trying to trace Ron, Hermione picked up the other disks and put them into the player.  Percy looked up and saw how the test subjects were treated.  Ron was fighting the hardest.  Dr. Drake appeared on one of the videos saying that each subject would keep a special item of significance to them to act a trigger if needed.  He displayed on the table different pieces of jewelry.  

            Draco suddenly made a gasp of surprise.  "I was one of the people listed as a potential test subject," he whispered.  Percy grabbed the folder out of his hand and read the list.  

            Harry and Hermione stayed next to each on the sofa watching all the disks.  Percy went through the files that held the profiles of each of the subjects.  "According to this, Ron made the perfect specimen for a pure blood.  They needed different pedigrees," said Percy bitterly.  

            "Well, I never thought I'd admit it, but other than the Malfoys, there isn't any other family other than the Weasleys with that kind of pedigree on that list," said Malfoy.  "I never thought Weasley's bloodlines would get him into trouble like this," he added more to himself than to anyone else.

            "There was too much interference, but why?" asked Percy out loud.  He rubbed the bottom of his chin thoughtfully.  His wand told him where Ron was. 

            "I think it was Ron," whispered Hermione.  Out of all the people in the room, she was the most trained.  "Ron's powers never left him.  He didn't remember having them, but that didn't mean they weren't activity.  It was his magic that created the interference.  I don't doubt that Ron hasn't had strange things happen around him.  Strange things that he unwittingly caused."

            "That makes sense," said Percy.  "It's like keeping something violate under control, but it will bubble up around.  Suppression might have made his powers stronger."

            "I'll tell you one thing.  That wasn't what they were testing.  Looks like there's a whole lot of things they didn't count on," said Harry.  "Your father said that the Continuum wanted to know where magic came from.  They unwittingly made Ron stronger and created one of the most dangerous men in the world.  Ron's out for their blood.  Where is he?"

            "As far as I can tell up north.  I say we apparate to there and trace him," said Percy.  He thought of all the times his father said that the Muggles chose to live in blissful ignorance rather than acknowledge magic that was practiced in and around their world.  His father wasn't total right.  There were Muggles out there who were dangerous.  The thought of people lurking in the shadows made Percy uneasy.  The world just became a more dangerous place.  If the Muggles were ignoring the wizards, then the wizards were guilty of ignoring the Muggles.  The world would never be the same again after the Continuum.

            Just before they apparated out of the room, Hermione put her rings back on her ring finger.  Hermione didn't feel so bare anymore, but she didn't feel complete yet.

*

            The facility that the Continuum met in England was in the Moors, so that it was far way from either the Muggle or wizarding world.  They took their place at a stronghold.  It was not a castle, but a modern plant.  It was white, sterile, and cold. 

            A man with flaming red hair emerged from a Jaguar with a long turtleneck and long trench coat.  His eyes were shaded by sunglasses.  He knew where to go because of the files that he had stolen.  He went to the house of Mary St. John after he killed her.  He found out that the remaining Continuum members were ordered to come back to the stronghold for their safety.  Dante had no problem hacking into St. John's computer and finding out that they were all moved to.

            It made his job easier.  They were all sitting ducks in one location.  It looked like a military base with armed guards stationed at lookout towers.  Dante didn't know that Alexander Curtis planned on his arrival.  Curtis ordered some of the best hit men in the world to take him out.  Dante was prepared for anything.

            Dante was armed with more weapons than anyone would expect, including a wand.  Dante took out his gun and put a silencer on it.   He pressed the top of the barrel against his temple again.  Looking up at the gates, he thought how it looked like heaven's gates, but they weren't.  It was the place where the fourteen test subjects were held and tested on for more than three months.

            Dante had finally reached the gates of the Inferno.

AN:  What a long journey to the Inferno.  The title had to come up sooner or later here.  Look forward to a major chapter up next.  Now that I was getting around to working on the next fic, a new idea came to me.  Heaven help me, I can't stop.

By the way, if my lovely readers and reviews would be so kind as to vote for me at the contest at http://pixelpunk.fateback.com, I would be so happy.  I made a Harry Potter doll.  He's number three on the voting.  Please vote for me if you think I deserve it.  I would like to get the award for cutest, but only if you think I deserve it.  ^_^

There are about three more chapters to go for Living Memory after this.  So, I should be done by twenty.  The next part is the face off between the Continuum and Ron.  The other two parts are the clean up.  Any guess on who gets out alive?  All beats might be off.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  I would like to, but I own my own original characters and this fic.  Please use with written permission.


	18. Inferno

Living Memory

Chapter Eighteen: The Inferno

            Along the Moors of between England and Wales was the compound that belonged to the Continuum.  Very few of the locals remembered what the compound produced.  They all knew better than to come near it.  The wizards of the Continuum created a spell that made the locals fearful of the place.  Any traveling wizard or witch would just assume that it was a Muggle structure and he or she would just be on his or her way without a second thought, and any Muggles working there were routinely changed and moved.  The compound in the Moors served as a testimony to what Muggles and wizards could accomplish if they worked on a common goal.  To the test subjects, it was a prison where they had their lives permanently destroyed.  

            The gates and high walls of the Continuum's stronghold were painted white and stretched all around the grounds.  Dante decided to go through the front door.  It was the quickest line.  He was armed with more weapons than most people could see on him.  He walked all the way up to the gate and shot the camera.  He walked through the gate and saw that the guards were armed at the lookout towers, but he slipped into the shadows before they could even think of firing.  He fired two shots and killed both of them.  

            Dante knew that he was walking straight into a trap.  He simply did not care because his goal was to kill off the Continuum, even if it got himself killed in the process.  He could not stop and turn back.  Dante slipped out of the shadows and continued forward while taking out the security cameras at the same time.  He busted the doors open using some of the explosives he made. 

            The first corridor he was empty.  Dante's sharp ears heard the sounds of movement on floor.  He looked around, but he didn't see anything.  He looked up and saw that there were pipes that lead to the water sprinklers in case of a fire in the building.  He flicked out his wrist and a sharp boomerang like object flew out, cutting into the pipes above him at the sprinklers.  The water came down like rain on him.  The water showed outlines of bodies moving through the corridor.  Dante shot them with his gun.  He walked over to the heaps on the floor.  Dante pulled off what covered them.  The cloth felt colder than the water that was coming down from the ceiling.  He recognized the man as one of the Continuum members.  Dante went to the other person and found a woman underneath the other cloak; it was another Continuum member.  Dante picked up the wands on the ground and snapped both.  

            Dante ignored the cloaks because he did not really know what they were.  He knew that they were magic, but he did not bother to pick them up.  He walked onward down the corridor and continued shooting the cameras as he went.  Dante could hear the slightly sounds as he went along and continued killing off people.  He had no idea that the wand he had on him was useless.  The wizards of the Continuum erected charms and barriers against magic as a safety measure against him.  

            _This is not over yet.  Four members down.  Eight more to go_, thought Dante as he continued onward with his task.

*

            Percy looked around the cold and desolate Moors.  Harry walked towards as Jaguar that was parked behind some bushes.  "Alohomora," he whispered and the door opened.  He looked inside the interior of the car to find that it was clean and it was a rented car.  "There's nothing here," said Harry.

            "There's definitely something there," said Hermione as she looked at the great white compound nearby.  "The gate's wide open," she observed.  

            "And there's a lot of noise," said Draco after a blast set off.  Percy walked forward and ordered, "Let's get inside.  Everyone brace yourselves for the worst."

            The four of them bravely walked inside.  Hermione stopped cold because one of the guards that Ron shot fell out of the lookout tower, and his body was found crumpled on the ground.  She paled over and looked at Percy.  "Looks like Ron's started the party," said Percy grimly.

            "I hate being late for a party," said Draco with a smirk.  They walked further and found the first corridor flooded with water and blood.  Harry walked up to one of the unmasked bodies and gasped, "It's a Ministry member.  I've seen him before."

            Percy looked at the other body.  It was not a person who worked for the Ministry, but he was just as disgusted.  Hermione made the mistake of walking forward on her own and found a room with bodies.  "They never had a chance," whispered Hermione.

            "None of the things that Dante does isn't humanly possible," said Harry.

            "Not if you're a Muggle, but if you're a wizard, yes," said Draco as he walked over the bodies.  They reached other part of the compound; it was like a maze made out of concentrate.  Now, the corridor they walked into divided into two halls.

            "Which way do we go?" asked Harry.

            "I'll take this way," said Percy as he pointed to the right.  "We have no choice, and it's too late to call for back up."

            "I'll go with you," said Hermione.

            "Why don't you go with Harry?" asked Percy instead.

            "I don't want to.  I'd rather go with you, _my brother_," insisted Hermione.  Percy gave a startled look at the last word she said.  He nodded and said, "Be careful, both of you."

            Draco and Harry walked down the corridor and a shot was fired that hit Harry's arm first.  Draco, who was walking behind Harry, moved just in time.  "Stop," rasped a voice.  Harry clutched his bleeding arm as he looked up and saw Ron standing there.

            "Ron?  Why?" gasped Harry in surprise.

            "You're here to stop me.  I cannot allow that.  They stole my life from me.  I am not Ronald Weasley.  I am Dante," said Dante.  "This ends.  Either I kill them or they kill me.  Either way it ends.  I have no intention of losing or letting anyone get in my way."

            Dante pointed his gun at Harry's chest.  Draco shook his head and muttered, "I never thought I'd do this, but," he drew out his wand, "I can't let you kill my partner."

            Dante let his arm drop to his side.  "Go ahead and try that," he whispered.  Draco lowered his wand as well.  "Don't make any sudden movements," warned Draco.

            Harry was bleeding profusely from the wound in his arm.  He placed his hand on Draco's shoulder and grasped it tightly.  "Let him go," he whispered.

            "No.  Are you stupid, Potter? He shot you without a second thought," Draco reminded him.

            Dante watched them without much interest.  "Go," said Harry to him.  "Finish this, so you can come home."  Harry was losing so much blood and he was in a lot of pain.  He simple could not fight Ron or Dante.  Harry backed into the wall for support and slid down it.

            Draco was prepared to stun him, but Dante did the strangest thing.  He bent over Harry and leaned him against the wall because Harry was leaning forward and more blood was pouring out.  "Don't move around too much or you'll lose more blood," said Dante.

            Dante could have killed Harry, if he wanted to.  Draco was prepared to stop him at all costs because he did not think that Dante was redeemable, but Dante was helping Harry.  "Go ahead.  Kill all those bastards," said Draco.  "I'll see to him," he added.

            Dante stood up again Draco turned his back to him.  When Draco felt a breeze pass, he knew that Dante was gone.  Harry was breathing calmly through all the pain he was in.  "Thank you," he whispered Draco.

            "Yeah, well.  I did not want to get myself killed," said Draco as he tended to his partner's wounds.

*

            The control room of the Continuum was filled with the remaining Continuum members.  They watched as security camera after security camera went out.  Several of the security guard teams could no longer be reached.  They were trapped.  "I say it is time we surrendered," said one of the last wizards of the group.  There were only three members of the Continuum who were wizards.  

            "The last card has not been played yet," said Curtis calmly. The remaining Continuum members did not know what to say.  One of the wizards lifted his wand out and pointed it at Curtis.  "I don't trust you, Curtis.  You've been making your own plans behind our backs.  You've broken every code that the Continuum members have to adhere to," he said.

            Without a word, Curtis shot the man with a gun.  Not another member of the Continuum said anything.  They all looked at Curtis with horror in their eyes.  "Is there anyone else here who is questioning my authority?" he asked.

            A cell phone went off, breaking the silence, and one of the Muggles answered it and after a short conversation, he said, "There are four other people in the compound."

            "We'll have to deal with them.  Who are they?" asked one of the wizards.

            "Two of them were captured by a security camera.  They were talking about a Potter and Malfoy, but they did not have anyway of communicating with each other," said the Muggle.

            "Hmm…Potter?  Harry Potter.  And the other name sounds familiar," said Curtis.  He remembered Harry Potter right off the bat because the other wizards talked about him.  Potter would have made an interesting study, but he was a public figure in the wizarding world.  The other name sounded vaguely familiar to Curtis.

            "Malfoy.  Draco Malfoy, the last of the Malfoys.  His father was on the dark side, but he worked for the good side.  His role in the war was invaluable.  Draco Malfoy collected the evidence against his father after the murder of his mother.  He was also one of our potential test subjects," said one of the wizards.

            "Ah, yes.  That's why his name was familiar.  Charles insisted that we use him instead of Weasley.  Why didn't we?" asked Curtis out loud.

            "Because he was working deep covert operations in Northern Ireland.  Even Malfoy's superiors could not locate him.  He would have been too hard to track down and bring back," said the wizard.  "Charles had no choice, but to chose Ronald Weasley. He didn't want to because Weasley's family, specifically Weasley's father.  Charles knew Arthur Weasley personally."

            "The people here are obviously from the Aurors.  They're only armed with wands.  I don't care if they look around.  If they do all they'll find is Ronald Weasley's body," said Curtis.  The other members of the Continuum did not like the sound of Curtis' plan.  "However, the most important thing is our research.  It cannot be wasted.  We must get it out of here.  All of it," he said.

            The final plan of the Continuum was simple.  Get the research out of the compound at all costs and destroy the final test subject, Ronald Weasley.

*

            Dante knew that he was walking further and further into a trap.  He was glad that he shot Harry Potter because Harry and that other fellow would stay out of his way.  Harry told him to finish, so that he could go home.

            He heard a sudden noise and fired his gun.  He walked up calmly to where he fired his gun and found one of the other Continuum members.  She was bleeding in her arm.  She looked up at him.  "Rachel Arden," he whispered.

            "Please.  Don't kill me.  There's a trap.  They've set up a trap.  I can tell you how to get passed it," she whispered helplessly.  "I can help you.  Just don't ki—"

            BANG!

            Her body collapsed into a lifeless heap.  There was another hole at the left side of her temple.  Her eyes were wide open.  Dante stood there with a smoking gun.  "I do not need your kind of help," he whispered.  He knew that she was part of the plan to trap him.  

            _Five down.  Seven to go,_ thought Dante.  He changed the cartridge in his gun as he went towards the wardroom of the Continuum.  He turned around and fired his gun again and two more bodies dropped to the ground.  It was too easy.  Dante wanted to know why it was too easy.  When reached the wardroom.  He found it empty.  

            He heard a sound go off.  The room exploded in a fury of flames.  Dante was caught in the fire as the room tore apart. 

*

            Percy and Hermione were in the laboratory of the Continuum.  It was located in the basement at a sublevel of the compound.  Hermione recognized it as the room where Ron underwent the final preparation of the experiment.  She slightly shuddered at the sight of the chair that had straps to it.  "It's different being here," said Hermione.

            "It's so cold here.  So clean," observed Percy, his sharp eyes noticed a lens looking at them.  "What is that?" he asked Hermione as he pointed at it.

            "Oh my God!  It's a camera.  They know we're here," said Hermione as she drew out her wand.  She shouted a spell to destroy it, but not even a single spark came out of her wand.  "There's a barrier.  It's like the one to keep Hogwarts safe in the inside, but it prevents the use of wands."

            "We're in trouble.  We don't have any Muggle weapons on us.  Neither do Potter and Malfoy," said Percy more formally.  He looked around.  

            "We have to get out of here," he added.

            "No, we're not in complete trouble.  Ron's here somewhere.  And the Continuum doesn't have a chance against him," said Hermione.  She sounded sure of herself.

            "We should have called for back up.  I didn't think of it," admitted Percy.  "We can't use our magic, but that doesn't mean we can't leave here without any important information and we have to bring Ron back."

            Hermione walked forward to the computer.  She started typing into it with Percy looking on her shoulder.  "What would the password be?" she asked out loud.

            "A password?" said Percy as he looked over her shoulder.  There was a screen that asked for a password.

            "Something that the Muggles wouldn't use.  It's a duel project, but what word.  If it was a Muggle word, it would be too easy to use.  Hmm…oblivate," said Hermione as she typed in.  

            The computer held more information than Hermione and Percy expected.  Suddenly, they heard an explosion.  It was so strong that it shook the part of the compound they were in.  "What was that?!" exclaimed Percy.

            "It sounds like it came from one of the upper floors.  Percy, the ceiling.  It's going to cave in on us!" shouted Hermione.

            "Then, we have to go!" shouted Percy as he grabbed Hermione's hand.  "But, we haven't seen all of the research yet!" she shouted back as the plaster came down from the ceiling.

            "We have no choice!  We have to get out of here.  We're at the basement level," said Percy hurriedly as they both ran out of the lab.  They ran up the stairs and opened the door to find that the hall was covered in plaster and dust.  It felt hot.  

            "Do you think Ron set it off?" said Percy.

            "I don't know.  I hope Harry and Draco are all right.  I hope Ron is, too," said Hermione worriedly.

            Another explosion occurred, Percy and Hermione ran as fast as they could because it sounded like the last blast was closer to them.  When they got to one of the rooms, they found that it was in flames.  "There's the door!" shouted Percy as he pushed Hermione forward, but kept her close to the wall to avoid the flames.

            "They're setting off charges!  Destroying all the evidence!" exclaimed Hermione as they pressed forward to get out of the sublevel they were in.

            "We have to get out of here and come back with reinforcements," said Percy.  He could feel his failure coming.  "I'm sorry Hermione."

            "We're not dead yet," said Hermione bravely.  "It's not over until it's over."

*

            Alexander Curtis was getting ready to leave with the research of the Continuum.  He knew just the right place to go.  He also set up the charges that were blowing apart the compound.  Little did his fellow members know that he had planned all along to kill all of them off, and that Charles was just the first member he planned on destroying.  He was only in it for the research and the profits of the research.  

            Curtis had no intention of sharing anything with the other members of the Continuum.  He was the one who was willing to do anything to succeed.  He wasn't about to let Ronald Weasley destroy everything and take the research from him.  He set the charges when the compound was first created at the end of the experiment he was planning on calling a meeting and not showing up.  He was going to kill all the other Continuum members when they came to that last meeting.  However, Ronald Weasley ruined his plans.  

            It was fine with Curtis.  He could kill everyone in one shot.  He would let Dante/Ron kill off the other Continuum members and blow everything up afterwards.  Curtis was the type of man who used whatever advantage he was given.  Curtis was on the helicopter pad waiting for the helicopter to come and pick him up on the roof to escape with the research.

            The helicopter had to arrive soon before the building collapsed underneath Curtis' feet.  He was setting off the charges carefully.  He was high enough, so that he could not smell the smoke from the fires.  The sky above Curtis was gray and bleak.

            A single raindrop came from the clouds followed by another. Curtis frowned and called on his cell, "I need that helicopter here right now.  It's starting to rain."

            "Yes, sir," said the voice on the line.  

            "Good help is so hard to find these days, is it not, Mr. Curtis?" asked a low, dangerous voice from behind him.  Curtis whirled around and found a man dressed in just a black turtle and a pair of pants that had several pockets.  A familiar looking silver pendant was hanging from a chain around his neck.  He had a gun in his hand.  

            "You?  How did you…" said Curtis in clear surprise.  He managed to kill off the other Continuum members who were in different areas of the compound, other than the ones that Dante had already finished off.

            "This," said Dante as he showed something with a flick of his wrist.  It was a wand.  

            "How did you use it?" asked Curtis.

            "It's magic," whispered Dante.  "However, I will admit it.  I do not know how it worked, but it did.  And I happen to be out of bullets." 

            What Curtis did not know that he was the one who made it possible for Dante to use the wand effective.  When the other wizards of the Continuum were killed off, the spell over the compound collapsed.  Curtis smiled and drew out a gun from his vest pocket.  He pointed straight at Dante.  "You are the one who ruined everything."

            "Then we are even.  Or not," said Dante coldly.  "Do you honestly think a mere pistol can stop me?"

            "Let's find out," said Curtis as he set his briefcase down on the ground.  Before he could fire the first shot, Dante moved with inhuman speed and landed on one of the other roofs of the compound.  

            Curtis did not care if the helicopter came because he refused to leave one last loose end.  He chased after Dante.  They leaped from roof to roof.  Dante threw out ninja stars that cut across Curtis' cheeks.  Eventually, they landed back on the rooftop they started in.  Dante ran in circles, but he also ran on walls.  He was able to flip and move with his powers.  Curtis knew that he had really no chance against him, but he wasn't about to lose to Dante.  

            The rain came down on both of them.  Curtis wasted all his shots because Dante was too quick.  They both grappled with each other.  "You stole my life from me!" roared Dante in fury. 

            "I don't give a damn!" shouted back Curtis.  He managed to get one of Dante's blades and cut into Dante's stomach.  It did not stop Dante.  

            "YOU CAN GO TO HELL!  NOTHING MAKES UP FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!  YOU MURDERED INNOCENT PEOPLE!  YOU STRIPPED AWAY THEIR HUMANITY AND WHEN THEY SERVED THEIR PURPOSE YOU KILLED THEM!  YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!  YOU TOOK AWAY FAMILIES!" roared Dante.  

            His blue eyes flashed an unnatural color.  He was losing so much blood from the wound in his stomach.  Curtis punched him there, Dante sank to his knees.  "Why can't you just be a good little lab rat and die when you're supposed to?" he asked Dante as he grabbed him by his hair.

            "You could have lived.  It was you who killed the others off.  It was your actions and decisions.  You still had your free will," whispered Curtis.  "And now, it's over.  I will be a God to those who have no magic.  I will be the most powerful man on Earth."

            Dante could feel his life slipping from him at that moment.  He flicked his wrist with the wand in it.  He could not remember how to do magic, so he used the only word he knew worked.  "Accio," he whispered.

            The briefcase that Curtis settled on the ground so carefully earlier came hurling towards him.  He turned just in time to see it come at him.  It slammed his head and knocked him to the ground.  Dante dropped the wand from his hand and stood up.  He did not face Curtis because it did not matter anymore.  Dante did what he set out to do, and he did it without fail.  

            Dante could feel his life slipping from him.  He finally felt like he was in heaven.  The rain came down and cleansed him.  He felt oddly at peace.  It was almost over for him.  

            His vision blurred and blood poured from his side.  He coughed up blood as he hobbled towards the doorway he came up in.  He collapsed as he got the door and slumped down next to it.  He could hear the sound of people popping into the rooftop.  He closed his eyes and leaned up against the wall next to the doorway.  The rain was only coming down harder, but Dante's storm was over.

            Someone touched his cheek and his eyes fluttered open.  Hermione's brown eyes were staring straight into his.  "It's over," she whispered softly as she pressed her forehead against his.  Her lips grazed his.  For a moment, Dante felt real warmth for the first time in three years.  He could almost feel whole and alive again.  The feeling only lasted for a moment as his body weakened.  

            "An angel.  You are an angel," whispered Dante.  He was rewarded with a smile from her as he closed his eyes.  His hand went over the hand that she had on his cheek.  He felt the rings on her finger.  Her right hand came over his left hand.  He almost said something, but she pressed her lips against his.  He decided to say something else.

            "I finally get to see heaven."

AN: Oh, my.  I can only imagine what happens next.  Well, because I haven't written it yet, :P.  It's not over yet.  There are two more chapters to go.  The rest will be clean up.  It seems kind of rushed.  Oh well, I thought it would be good symbolism to destroy the Continuum's compound and the members in the process.  Hmm…should Ron die?  I haven't decided yet, and no amount of whining will sway my decision.  People keep thinking that it's going to be easy to fix Ron, but the damage is extensive.  Would it better if he were dead?  Maybe.  Expect an ending, but not a happy or sad one.  Just an ending.  Everything will be further explained in the next chapter.  Yes, Ron shot Harry.  Bet you didn't expect that.  

AN: I don't own Harry Potter.  Honestly, would J.K. Rowling write swearing out in the open like that in a "children's" book?  


	19. Homecoming

Living Memory

Chapter Nineteen: Homecoming

            Hermione leaned Ron's head against her shoulder.  He was losing so much blood.  His hand gripped hers tightly.  "Someone help!" screamed Hermione as she felt his breathing become more labored against the inside of her neck.  She checked his pulse on his wrist.  It was steady, but slowing down.  "SOMEONE HELP!" screamed Hermione as tears came down her cheeks.

            "Bring a mediwizard!" ordered Percy as he ran to where Hermione and Ron were.  He stopped for a moment as he saw his brother bleeding to death.  

            The Hit Men were covering the area and looking around for anymore evidence. One of the mediwizards came to Ron's aid.  "Bring a stretcher," he said to his assistant.

            "Harry Potter's been shot, but only in the arm.  I'm more concerned with Ron Weasley's bleeding," said the mediwizard.  He applied pressure to Ron's stomach.  "He's been stabbed."  Using magic, they lifted him into a stretcher.  His hand was attached to Hermione's, and his gripped tightened as if he was afraid to let it go.  Hermione followed along.  She wasn't about to let his hand go either.  

            "When did you arrive?  I thought I was given a week," said Percy to one of the Hit Men.

            "We were ordered by the acting Minister.  Here is now," said the Hit Man.  Percy looked behind him to see his father coming towards him.  It was still raining, but Arthur Weasley did not have an umbrella.  "We have to finish clean up here before the Muggles really get here," added the Hit Man as he went off to continue his work.  

            "Percy, where's your brother?" asked Mr. Weasley with concern.

            "He's over there with the mediwizards.  Hermione found him," said Percy as they both walked quickly to get to Ron.  

            "Ron," whispered Mr. Weasley.  He moved Ron's bangs over to see his face more clearly.  "The rest of the family is at St. Mungo's because Harry was transported there first.  Draco Malfoy got Harry out of the compound just before it started blowing up.  Harry Potter's injury wasn't that serious, so they were able the apparate to the hospital."

            "We can't apparate him in this condition," said Percy.  

            "We can transport using that," said Hermione as she pointed at the helicopter that Curtis summoned to pick him up.  

            "How?" asked Percy.  He eyed the helicopter with apprehension.  "We have to convince him to let us use it," said Mr. Weasley.  

            "Imperio," whispered Hermione as she waved her wand.  She ignored the looks from the others as she walked along side her husband to get to the St. Mungo's.  The hospital was buzzing with activity.  The news of the Continuum flood the wizarding and Muggle newspapers.  The Muggle newspapers only covered the explosion.

            Hermione was not paying attention when she got to the hospital with Ron.  Ron was having a hard time breathing, so the mediwizard had to use a spell to help him.  His eyes were opened for a moment, focusing on Hermione's face.  "You're going to be all right," whispered Hermione.  She did notice that the rest of the Weasleys, Sirius Black, Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy were coming.  

            The mediwizard cut open Ron's shirt.  His well-define stomach was cut open and bleeding.  His mother stopped cold.  Hermione felt his hand loosen and go limp.  There was a trickle of blood coming down the side of his mouth.  He kept staring at Hermione's face.  If he could take anything with him, it would be her.  He did not know or understand why.  His vision blurred and his eyes could no longer stay open, so he let them close.

            "He's lost a lot of blood.  He needs a transfusion.  There's not even time for magic to work in this case," said the mediwizard.  "What's his blood type?" 

            "B positive," said Hermione automatically.

            "Get some blood here," ordered the mediwizard.

            "Wait, I've got the same blood type.  I'm his older brother," said Fred.  "I'll give him my blood."

            "I've got the same, too," said George.  

            "I'm older," said Fred, closing any arguments from George.  He only pulled he rarely used his status as the older twin.  He rolled up his robe sleeves and stepped up.  

            "He's heart's stopped," said the nurse at that moment.

            The mediwizard ordered that Ron be brought into one of the emergency rooms immediately.  Hermione couldn't let Ron's hand go.  She held on as long as she could.  When she finally separate from her, she broke out in a sob.  Mrs. Weasley immediately came to her side and held her.  Fred went along with Ron to give him blood.

            "Well, looks like he wasn't as lucky as you," said Sirius to Harry.

            Harry's arm was healing just fine, but the doctors put it into a sling for the time being.  "He did this," said Harry with a sad smile.

            "What?  You mean he shot you?" asked Sirius in surprise.

            "I was there.  He did, and he tried to help him.  Potter said to let Weasley go," said Draco with grim satisfaction.  There would have been a time when Draco would have been happy to see Potter and Weasley hurt, he didn't think that he would feel bad about it.

            "Hermione, are you all right?" asked Harry with concern. 

            "I'm sorry that Ron shot you," replied Hermione without answering Harry's question.

            "Let's sit down and wait," said Bill.

            "Where's Dad and Percy, Mum?" asked Charlie.

            "They're handing things at that dreadful place.  Arthur ordered the Hit Men over there when Percy didn't come back," said Mrs. Weasley.  "Let's get you cleaned up, dear," she added to Hermione.

            Hermione had blood on her blouse.  The rain made the dust from the plaster during the blasts into mud.  Hermione shook her head frantically.  "I'm waiting until Ron stabilizes."

            Many minutes passed before Fred came out.  He looked rather pale, but it was due to the donating his blood.  "Next time, I'll let you donate, George," he said jokingly.  

            "Are you all right? Is Ron all right?" asked Mrs. Weasley.  

            "He's okay for now.  He lost lots of blood, but I gave enough to keep him alive.  They've snitch up the wound and put something heal it up quicker.  All we can do is wait.  He'll be sent up to intensive care," said Fred.

            Hermione stepped into the room while Fred was talking.  Ron was asleep from the work the mediwizard did.  The mediwizard gave him a potion to put him to sleep.  Ron didn't have enough strength to fight it.  His clothes were changed and he was cleaned up.  Hermione watched him as he slept.  She was allowed a few minutes alone with her husband.

            The door opened when Percy and Mr. Weasley arrived to check up on Ron.  The rest of the group filtered inside.  The nurses didn't stop them because of Mr. Weasley's present.  "Here's your wand, Hermione," said Mr. Weasley.

            "Thank you, Arthur," said Hermione in a tired voice.  She took her wand and placed it on the nightstand.  She didn't need it because she bought a new one.  "What happens now?" she asked.

            "The Hit Men retrieved the briefcase that Alexander Curtis had.  It holds all the research, and Percy also had the information that Ron picked up from that lab in London.  The mediwizards are going through all the information with the Aurors.  Professor Dumbledore will be arriving with Professor Snape.  Snape will look at the potions the Continuum used and he'll see what he can do from Ron," explained Mr. Weasley.

            "Reports are pouring in on both sides.  The Muggles are investigating the explosion.  Curtis was only knocked out, but the damage done was sever.  He had a fracture in his skull.  The mediwizards kept his stabilized until the Muggle doctors came.  He'll face charges with the Muggles for murdering his fellow Continuum members.   He's now the suspect behind the bombing in London that murdered Mary St. John.  And if the Muggles don't get him, we will," said Percy as he threw a look at his father.

            They both had an argument over what to do with Curtis.  Mr. Weasley despite his rage against Curtis thought that it would be best if the Muggles handled him, but Percy disagreed with his father.  It was the first time in Percy's life he every openly disagreed with his father.  Percy wanted Curtis to face wizards' justice.  The only thing that gave Percy any hope were the injuries to Curtis.  There was a chance that he wouldn't make it.

            "I think we should let Ron rest for now.  He hasn't been able to in the past three years," said Mrs. Weasley as she pushed everyone out of the room.  She looked at Hermione, but did not force her out.  "I'll check on Tyler for you," said Mrs. Weasley instead.

            "Thank you," said Hermione.  She didn't care that her hair was a mess.  It got went in the rain and was frizzing.  She thought that it would be fine.  Her hair looked worst wet, and Ron saw her that way and called her an angel.  It was better than being called beautiful.  Hermione first met Ron when her hair was frizzy and her front two teeth were too big, and he always said before that it took her too much time to get ready.  He also said that she didn't have anyone else to impress other than him.  He said that she would look good no matter what she did.  The only thing she wanted to do was stay by his side.  

*

            The sunlight poured into the room as Ron's opened again.  He felt the warmth of the blankets and the sun.  The curtains were open.  Hermione cleaned up during the evening after much urging from her father and mother.  They came to the hospital with Mrs. Weasley and brought Tyler with them.  

            Ron's eyes came into focus on her.  She was standing near the window with sun behind her.  It wasn't like when he woke up three years ago.  She smiled at him gently.  It occurred to him that at that moment he could not remember her name again.  "I'm sorry, angel," he whispered in a hoarse voice.

            Hermione went to the pitcher of water and poured some into a cup.  She pulled a chair up to his side and gave him the water.  "You're in St. Mungo's hospital.  It's a wizards hospital.  My name is Hermione Granger Weasley.  I am your wife.  We've been married for five years.  Um…stop me if you'd like," she said gently.

            Ron gave her a small smile.  He weakly held up his hand to her cheek.  His eyes focused on hers.  "Please don't stop," he whispered.  Hermione pressed her hand against his.  "What about the baby?" he asked.

            Hermione's eyes widened in slight surprise.  _Of course, he knows about Tyler.  He left all his money to him,_ she thought quickly.  "He's two and a half.  He was born a little early.  He was around seven pounds.  Very tiny.  He has red hair and blue eyes.  His full name is Tyler Ronald Weasley.  He talks a lot, but you'd say that he gets that from me," she said softly with a smile.  

            Hermione realized that everyone else was waiting for Ron to wake up, but she couldn't bring herself to even leave him for a second.  "He looks like you," she whispered.  "He even has dimples on his cheeks like you did when you were younger."

            Ron processed everything slowly.  It seemed that Dante was still there, but at peace.  His eyes were soulless and tired.  However, Ron felt happy.  He heard his name in his son's.  The angel was his wife.  She wasn't afraid of him like she was at the hospital.  "I'm sorry, angel," he whispered again.  

            She looked at him strangely.  "What are you apologizing for?  You had no control over what happened to you.  You don't even remember me," she said.  The last part sounded like she didn't want to say it.  

            Ron slumped back into the bed.  He felt like he was going to have the same depression he had before, but Hermione kissed his lips softly.  "You kept your ring on," she said softly as her hand covered his left hand.  The kiss reminded him about his dreams.  He didn't say anything the door opened.

            "Hermione, I brought you some tea," said Mrs. Weasley as she stopped suddenly.  "Ron, you're awake."  She walked over to Ron, and he was looking at her strangely.  Who was this strange woman?  She leaned over, moved his bangs, and placed a kiss on his forehead.  She looked at him with hurt in her eyes.  He did not know why.  

            "Ron, this is your mother, Molly," said Hermione softly.  Ron looked at the stranger.  She had tears in her eyes.  "I'm going to bring everyone else in," said Mrs. Weasley after a moment.  

            "I'm sorry," he said after her, but she stopped at the door.  "It's not your fault, love," said Mrs. Weasley with a smile that she forced on her face to reassure her son.  Ron looked at the angel again.  She walked up to him and said, "It's going to be all right.  You have a big family."

            "Yes, I know from my profile," said Ron.  "I only one of my siblings' names.  I don't think I'll be able to keep their names straight, angel."  He did not know why he kept calling her "angel" because he already knew her name.

            It didn't matter what Ron called Hermione.  He used to call her "honey" or "love."  It didn't matter as long as he was calling her something.  And Hermione could not forget what he said to her on the rooftop.  She stared at him as he looked at her.  He changed so much from the person he used to be.  He now had a scar on his stomach and virtually no memories in his head.  Hermione did not want to think of all the things Ron had done.  His body was made up of more hard muscle and his hair was longer.  

The sound of footsteps made them look away from each other.  Mr. Weasley first entered the room with Mrs. Weasley.  She was putting away a handkerchief that she used to wipe her tears away.  Ron's eyes were sort of sleepy looking.  Each one of his brothers introduced themselves, and his sister went last.  She was a pretty young woman.  He thought of Eden Martin at that moment.  Eden.  "Where's the necklace that I had around my neck?" he asked in alarm.

            "Um…I don't know," said Hermione in surprise.  Ron sat up straight in bed, surprising everyone.  He was breathing very deeply.  His temper was rising.  "Ron, please calm down," pleaded Hermione as she came to his bedside and placed her hand on his shoulder.

            Ginny stepped back away from him because she noticed that he lashed out when he saw her.  "It's all right, dear," said Mrs. Weasley.  Mr. Weasley ordered the staff to return the necklace.

            "What's so important about that necklace?" asked Harry.

            "It belonged to a friend of my," whispered Ron.  He felt light headed so he leaned back on the pillows.  He tipped his head back.  There was something that caught Hermione's eye.  It looked like an old scar.  She swallowed because she remembered the video of what happened to him.  "I hate hospitals," muttered Ron.  

            "Was it Eden Martin?" asked Harry further.  Ron continued to look at the ceiling.  "Her real name was Samantha Adams.  She was born in and raised in Salem, Massachusetts.  She was only a year younger than you.  You are twenty-six-years-old."

            "She died in my arms," whispered Ron so softly that hardly anyone heard him.  He was staring at his hands for a moment he could see Eden's blood on them.  "She made me promise to bring her home," he said a little louder.

            "Here it is," said Mr. Weasley as he handed the necklace back to Ron.  "What does it say on it?"

            "It says: 'Come home on your shield or on it.'  It's Greek.  She handed it to me," said Ron.  He was staring at it.

            No one knew what to say.  Hermione gently rubbed his shoulders.  Everyone remained quiet, but there were only adults in the room.  Tyler was outside with his Hermione's parents, and he was also fast asleep.  He kept asking everyone when he would get the chance to see his daddy.  It wasn't until Harry explained to Tyler that his father was too tired right now and needed to rest.  Tyler eventually wore himself out.  

            "I need to get out of here," whispered Ron.

            "You're too tired right now.  You need to rest," said Mr. Weasley.  Ron did not even know who he was, but the man seemed like he was in charge of everything.  

            "There's been a lot of news.  Ron, do you know what was in Curtis' briefcase?  We took it before the Muggles came and took him away," said Percy thoughtfully.  His comment earned him some sharp looks.  How could he talk about work at a moment like this?

            "Probably research.  They used some powerful drugs.  There's something called sodium pentathlon.  That was the only drug I recognized on the video disks.  I've had to use it myself on other people," said Ron grimly.

            "Sodium pentathlon?" asked Mr. Weasley.  He never heard of a potion named that before.

            "Truth serum.  It's injected into the skin and carried through the blood stream.  It's more messy than Vertiaserum, but it gets about the same results," answered Hermione.

            "My arms had needle marks on them.  There are old scars.  The doctors first thought that I was a drug addict, but they couldn't find anything in my system," said Ron as he showed the insides of his arms.  There were needle marks.  Almost everyone in the room wince, except for Harry and Hermione.  They had inoculations when they were younger.  Draco and Percy didn't wince either after seeing the part where the needle was inserted into Ron's jugular it was no surprise.  Ron craned his neck upwards.  "This was the strangest needle mark on me," he said as he fingered the small dot on his neck.  "The drug was administered to me was injected here because it was one of the fastest ways to send the drug through my body."

            Ron looked back down on his hands.  He seemed so tired after everything.  Part of him was grateful to be alive, but another part of him was not.  He was wondering what was next.  He was guilty of several crimes.  The guards that were posted near his room did not escape his notice.  Ron did not know where to go anyway.  There was no where else to run and he was tired.  

            Little did he know that the guards were posted just in case he tried to harm himself.  It was Hermione's suggestion.  He felt even more bare than before.  He was left without any real defense against anyone in the room.  The room was silent until Mr. and Mrs. Granger came in.  Mrs. Granger was carrying a sleeping boy with red hair in her arms.  His head rested on her shoulder while he slept peaceful.  Hermione looked up in surprise at them.  "Mum.  Dad.  Why did you bring him here?" she asked. 

            "We other appointments, Hermione.  We haven't been to our practice in two days.  I'm sorry, but he's going to have see him eventually," said Mrs. Granger with a soft smile at Ron.  Ron looked at her impassively.

            "My name is Dominic Granger.  This is my wife Patricia.  We are the parents of your wife," said Mr. Granger in a friendly voice.  He held out his hand and Ron took it.  They shook hands for a moment.  

            "I'll take him," volunteered Mrs. Wealsey.  Hermione was angry with her parents for bring in Tyler too soon.  She knew they were trying to help, but why didn't they trust her?

            "Don't move him too much.  He's sleeping," said Ron softly.  Everyone seemed surprised.  He shifted over leaving space between the side of the bed that Hermione was sitting next to.  "Put him down," he said further.

            Mrs. Granger did not look at anyone else as she walked up to the bed and placed her grandson next to his father.  Tyler did not even stir when he was put down.  Mrs. Granger smoothed over his hair and planted a kiss on his cheek.  She smiled at Ron, and she and Mr. Granger left.  

            Ron watched Tyler sleep.  It was strange watching his child sleep.  The boy was very handsome.  Ron noticed the red hair immediately.  He reached out to touch his son, but he hastened.  He looked at Hermione first as if to get her permission.  Hermione nodded and said, "It's probably best you see him like this.  Tyler's at his cutest when he's asleep.  He looks like an angel."

            Everyone else held their breath.  What did Ron think of Tyler?  It was a big pill to swallow after being gone for three years and coming back to find that he had a son.  Hermione did not doubt that Ron loved him.  She loved Tyler the moment she saw him, even before she held him.  And Hermione first saw Tyler, when he was crying.  Ron gently touched Tyler's hair.  It was like silk.  Tyler shifted a little, so Ron pulled his hand away.  Tyler turned his body around so that he was facing his father.  

            Ron peered into his face.  He had red eye lashes.  He had chubby cheeks.  His nose was straight and small.  It looked like Hermione's.  Ron noticed Tyler's ears were like his.  Tyler's lips were pursed when he was asleep.  Ron knew that they were a smaller version of his.  Ron wondered what his eyes looked like when they were opened, but Hermione said that were blue.  "He's beautiful," concluded Ron softly.  Everyone seemed to let out a sigh of relief after Ron's appraisal of his son.  

            "Well, everything that Ron Weasley has, is beautiful," said Harry.  "His wife, the house he bought, and his son."

            "You looked like him when you were a baby," said Mrs. Weasley as she smiled.

            Tyler suddenly stirred because the talking woke him up.  "Mummy?" he asked immediately.  Why was everyone there?  Hermione rubbed his back.  "Mummy?" he repeated.

            "I'm here, baby," said Hermione softly.  "Don't be too loud.  Your daddy's trying to rest."

            "Daddy?" asked Tyler as he looked up to see his father looking at him.  His blue eyes sparkled as he stared at his father.  It was the man in all the pictures with Mummy.  "My daddy!" he declared loudly as he grabbed his father's arm.  

            "Tyler, I told you not to be loud," said Hermione worriedly as she dared to look up at Ron.  To her relief, he had a weak smile on his face.

            "Mummy," he whimpered into his father's arm.  She was always saying no to him.  Maybe, his daddy would let him do something he wanted to do.

            "Why don't you tell me your name?" asked Ron softly.

            Tyler looked up at him.  His father was smiling at him.  "Tyler Ronald Weasley.  And I'm this many," he said as he held up two fingers.

            "Most children don't talk as well as you do.  And they can't really count.  You must be really smart," said Ron softly.  

            Tyler nodded frantically.  "Yes.  Mummy made me."  Ron and Tyler went on to have a conversation.  Ron asked mostly questions, which Tyler liked.  Tyler told Ron his favorite color, toy, story, and what he liked to do.  Tyler talked about everyone in the room.  Ron listened patiently, even when he could not understand some of the things Tyler was saying.  

            "Uncle Harry gave me a toy broomstick," said Tyler randomly.  He was talking about things that Ron could not quite understand, so he merely nodded.  "What did you do, Daddy?" asked Tyler innocently.

            "I worked for a lot of different people," said Ron simply.

            "Is that why Daddy didn't come home?" asked Tyler.

            "Yes," replied Ron.  Tyler looked very happy as he ignored everyone else in the room, including his mother.  Tyler could tell that his father was taller than any of his uncles and that he was also stronger than his Uncle Harry.  

            "When does Daddy get to come home?" asked Tyler hopefully.

            "I don't know," answered Ron without looking at anyone else.  He really didn't know.  Hermione was already devising some kind of therapy for him.  She was sure that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.  He was having a hard enough time adjusting.

            After a few more hours, Hermione decided that Ron needed more rest, and it was also time to take Tyler home.  She also needed some rest.  "I don't want to go home.  I want to stay with Daddy," pleaded Tyler with a pout.  

            "I'm sorry, baby.  Daddy needs his rest, and Mummy is tired, too," said Hermione gently.  Tyler turned to his father with a pout on his lips.

            "Come back soon.  I might get lonely," said Ron softly.  He didn't know quite how to say goodbye to Tyler.  He was very surprised when Tyler kissed him on the cheek.

            Tyler gave him an expectant look.  "Daddy, why don't you kiss me goodbye, too?" he asked.  Ron looked at Hermione again.  She nodded.  Ron planted a kiss on one of Tyler's marshmallow soft cheeks.   "I don't want to leave Daddy.  If he gets lonely," said Tyler.

            "He won't get lonely.  There are people all over the hospital," assured Hermione.  

            "Okay," said Tyler finally.  "Bye, bye Daddy."  

            Hermione left with Tyler.  Ron was tired, but he saw Harry sitting there.  "Why aren't going?" he asked him.

            "It's been a while since I've been able to sit here with my best friend," said Harry.

            "How can I be your best friend?  I nearly killed you," whispered Ron as he turned his head.

            "No hard feelings, Ron.  I feel bad about this whole thing.  You know it's my fault that any of this happened at all to you," admitted Harry with a sigh.

            "What do you mean?  This is the work of the Continuum," said Ron.

            "But, I was the one who let you go off without me to that warehouse that night.  That's when you turned up missing.  I should have been there with you," whispered Harry as a lump formed in his throat.  

            "Who decided to go off on his own?" asked Ron.

            "It was your plan," said Harry.  "And I second it, even though I thought it was a bad idea."

            "It's not your fault.  If it makes you feel better, then I forgive you because you were kind enough to forgive me.  You could have killed me before.  You had a wand and knew how to use it.  You could have just taken me out and dragged me back, but you didn't.  Thank you," whispered Ron.

            "I knew that you had to finish what you started.  I knew that I had to understand what happened.  I had to see it through your eyes.  I knew you better than anyone else because you're the first friend I ever made and my best friend," said Harry.  

            It was not normal for men to talk in an honest and frank manner.  After being lied to and deceived, Ron deserved some real truth.  They said nothing more as the sun sank down and the night threw darkness over the land.  Ron felt safe.

*

            The next morning Ron was brought into a room for an evaluation by the staff.  The doctor that came in was short, pretty, and had a pair of almond-shaped brown eyes that projected kindness. She smiled at him pleasantly as she sat down.  Ron had been through enough psychiatric evaluations to know what to expect.  He suspected that this evaluation wouldn't be any different than what the non-magical people did.  Ron knew that his wife was a psychologist, but she was a criminal psychologist, not a clinical one.

            "Hello Mr. Weasley, my name is Dr. Cho Chang," said the woman with a smile.  She sounded friendly enough.

            "Hello Doctor," said Ron, not returning the smile.  

            "I just wanted to ask you a few questions," said Dr. Chang.

            Ron gave her a look that pierced right through her.  "Let us stop this question and answer game before it starts.  I am tired of answering questions.  It is time to have my questions to be answered, _Doctor_," whispered Ron. 

            Dr. Chang visibly shuddered at the tone of Ron's voice.  He looked relaxed.  She was not an expert at dealing with someone who was as dangerous as him.  The only other doctor who could deal with Ron was Hermione, but she was not allowed to treat him.  

            "Very well," said Dr. Chang.  "Let us begin.  

            The questioning went on for a few hours.  They were monitored from another room.  Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape watched Ron's behavior.  Professor Dumbledore's sharp eyes viewed every aspect of Ron.  He noticed the lack of emotion on his voice and how calm he appeared to be, but Professor Dumbledore knew better.  He could see the cold rage that brewed just beneath Ron's calm demeanor.  

            "Serevus, have you had a chance to look at the formulas for the Muggle's potions?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

            "Yes, Professor.  The formulas are incredible complex.  It's not just the Memory Charm used on him.  It's the formulas.  They seem to have rearrange the pathways in his brain.  New pathways were created.  I am not an expert in Muggle potions.  It's Chemistry, not Potions.  We need someone who can understand just the rudimentary basics.  I'm looking at the formulas.  It seems to have reoccurring patterns with letters: C, H, N, and O," explained Snape.

            "It's organic and inorganic chemistry," clarified Hermione.  "I am not an expert, but I know what kind of Muggle psychotic drugs for minor things like depression and schizophrenia.   I've never seen anything like this.  See, each compound is made up of major organic chemistry groups like alkane and alkenes.  Most of the formulas seem to be comprised of nitrite groups."

            Most of the wizards present did not quite understand what Hermione just said.  In fact, there were medical treatments for depression and schizophrenia, but Ron's condition was severe.  None of them ever saw such a powerful memory charm used on anyone before.  After the meeting with Dr. Chang, Professor Snape came in to talk to Ron.  

            "Hello, Mr. Weasley.  My name is Serevus Snape.  I was your professor when you attend Hogwarts, the school of Wizardary and Witch Craft.  I am an expert with Potions," said Snape as he took a seat in front of Ron.

            "Hello," said Ron.

            "I have here a truth serum.  I have been ordered to administer it, but I'm giving you the choice to take it or leave it," said Snape.

            "I've taken truth serum before.  Why should it be any different?  Are wizards always different from Muggles?" asked Ron with much amusement.  "Besides, I would like to think that I am building some trust with the people here.  Let me guess: I did not like you before, did I?  And judging by your ridge formality, you did not like me either.  How interesting this must be for you."

            Snape didn't betray the surprise at how well Ron read him.  "Perhaps you are right.  Why didn't you answer the doctor's questions before?" asked Snape.

            "Because I have a feeling she has no idea how real human nature is.  I have a feeling that you do," said Ron.

            "Yes.  There are a few things I have seen in the wizarding world myself.  I take it you've seen the Muggle world," said Snape.

            "I remember when I first woke up in the hospital.  I was in a clean, bright room.  They told me that I did not have any identification on me.  I could not remember who I was.  The only thing I had was my wedding band.  Soon I decided to leave the hospital in London.  I traveled to dark parts of London.  I did not have much money.  I was told that there were jobs that could be preformed by people who were amoralists, but still held a code of duty.  Duty is different from honor, Snape.  Duty is just something to do; honor is something you can really live for.  I remember my first kill.  I was ordered to assassinate a politician.  The world could do with less of those anyway.  He had a wife and two children.  He liked to smoke Indian cigarettes.  After that it just got easier.  So easy.  I didn't like feeling nothing.  I did what I had to do to feel anything.  However, the highs got shorter and shorter.  The killing started to become automatic.  You just detach yourself from what you are doing and from what you are.  If you are lucky enough to not have any real part of you, then you can detach much more easily.  I was lucky.  Apathy is a dangerous thing because you do not have a soul.  They took more than just my mind and my life, but I was the one who destroyed my soul."

            Snape pulled up his sleeve to reveal his dark mark.  "This is a symbol of my sins, Mr. Weasley.  It is the mark of a man who has killed before without feeling.  I was well aware of what I was doing was wrong.  I was forgiven for my sins.  It would be hypocritical of me not to wish the same for you."

            "The imprints are not on my body, but in my mind.  I can only remember things vaguely.  I feel a constant déjà vu.  I saw you and thought immediately I did not like you.  The only memories I have are of the angel.  That is all," confessed Ron.  He didn't say what the memories he had of Hermione and him specifically.  However, Snape could pick up on it, and he nodded.  

            "The only time I felt anything was when Eden died.  I know her real name is Samantha, but I knew her as Eden.  She trusted me.  She gave feeling again.  Even if it was turned to pain, at least it was something," whispered Ron as he touched his fingertips together.  The necklace dangled from his neck.  His voice fell silent.

            "I wonder about the things you have seen and the people you have met," mused Snape.  It was interesting; he was careful not to state direct questions.  

            "I met a lot of people in my line of work.  Mostly unsavory characters, criminals for the most part.  I am a part of them after all.  There is only one person I met, but I always felt sorry for her.  Her name is Lenore Henson.  She looked like an Ice Queen.  Very sad," whispered Ron.

            Hermione's eyes perked up at the mention of another woman.  It wasn't like Eden, but she could sense the undercurrent of attraction.  It grabbed at her heart.  _He couldn't specifically remember you.  You can't hold it against him.  Just be glad his back,_ hissed a voice in Hermione's head.

            "Hmm.  Interesting.  You have killed many people.  You must be very skilled indeed.  You seem to move more quickly than normal Muggles," said Snape, changing the subject.

            "Yes.  I was not formally trained in the martial arts.  I learned how to use a multitude of weaponry.  I have learned how to make almost any everyday object into a weapon.  I can kill man or woman by pressing points on the body.  My weapon of choice is an old fashion revolver.  I am also immune to some forms of poison, and I am knowledgeable of different kinds of poisons," said Ron in a bored, monotone voice.

            "I am tired now.  I need some sleep," whispered Ron after a moment of silence.  

            "Very well," agreed Snape.  He signaled the doctors to allow Ron to return to his room to rest.  There was still a lot of work to do.  

            Ron returned to his room.  Hermione walked inside his room to see him.  "Are you all right?" she asked.

            "I'm fine.  I feel drained," replied Ron.  She walked up to him and sat next to him.  She wanted to know about Lenore Henson, but she didn't have the guts to ask.  

            "I know the feeling.  I know what it's like to be empty," said Hermione.

            "Where's the baby?" he asked.

            "He went with your parents.  He wasn't too happy because he wanted you to come home with us," she answered.

            "What's wrong?" asked Ron.  Hermione wanted to  curse his new awareness; he was never as aware before.  Hermione had to practically pull teeth to get Ron to see the obvious, and now he could read through almost everything.

            "Nothing," replied Hermione blandly as she made an attempt to leave the room, but Ron grabbed her arm before she could leave and pulled her towards him.  His eyes were calm, but they were focused on her.  

            "I think it is best we do not start with lies," whispered Ron.  His tone held no threat, and it sounded like a plea.  

            Hermione sighed softly as her hand gently rubbed his cheek.  Their foreheads touched.  "I don't know who you are anymore.  I can't imagine what you really feel, Ron.  I can't imagine what you really did," she whispered.

            "What I really did?  You know.  Is that what you're afraid of?" he asked as his hand grazed her cheek.

            "You don't even remember if you loved me or not.  I can't explain it," whispered Hermione.  "Please let me go."

            "It is terrible to be alone.  Maybe, I frighten you because I am afraid of letting go of anything or anyone who knows me," whispered Ron.  With that, he released her and leaned back into the bed.  He turned his head way from her as she escaped from the room.  

            Ron mused about how his head was scrambled and now, so was his heart.  He could not remember the angel that well.  Yet, he felt a space in his heart that was filled.  Ron regretted how Eden died, but he never really felt pain from it.  He swallowed.  Ror the first time he could ever remember he could feel real pain, and he could not understand why.

AN: You know most great novels or stories in the world end in tragedy.  It surprises me how many people want a happy ending.  Or how simple everything is suppose to be.  This maybe fantasy, but I'm still grounded in the real world.  Also, for the person who mentioned the memory charms, yes I know that they can be broken.  That's why there is a lot complex Muggle drugs used as well.  As a former biological sciences major, I know how complex those drugs are.  And the friendship between Harry and Ron remains intact, more or less.  Ron was helping Harry in the compound, even though he did not know who he was.  He also did not kill Harry at grave of Eden Martin, which he could have done without any weapons.  Also, why do people hate Draco so much?  I know he's mean, but I believe that he's young enough to change.  No one had a problem when I wrote him bad.  He's no saint here either but still.  In the future, when people start reading other stuff that has the same genre as Harry Potter, you'll find that not everything ends the way you think it should.  J.K. Rowling has already done that in the third and fourth book.  Harry doesn't get to stay with Sirius, and Sirius is still labeled as guilty for the crimes of Peter Pettigrew.  Cedric Diggory is killed, and Voldemort once again has a body.  This story was also long, so people tend to not notice some of the small stuff I put in.  Harry also tends to hid his scar under his bangs.

There will be two more chapters.  Considering the length of this chapter, I didn't think that one more would be good enough.  And sorry about the long wait because this chapter was harder to write than expected.  I can't really blame J.K. Rowling for taking her time on the next book.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  The series and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.  She's rich, and I am a college student on scholarships and a loan.  


	20. Memories

Living Memory 

Chapter 20: Memories

            In the darkness of the mental hospital, a man was brought in and confided into a rubber cell.  He wore a straight jack, so that he would not injury himself.  His eyes were mad as he shifted them left to right then up and down.  "What am I doing here?" he roared.

            A nurse walked up to the cell and opened the little window.  "You are here, Mr. Curtis, because you need help.  Now please try and settle down," she said in a calm voice as she slide the panel back over the window.  

            He thrashed around his body angrily.  "DAMMIT!  Why doesn't anyone believe me?  There are wizards out there!  They've got wands and powers!  There are wizards!"

            "What do you think will happen to him, Doctor?" asked the nurse to a man in a white lab coat.

            "He's gone mad.  If he were sane, then he would be in trial and sent to jail.  He murdered all of his partners and blew up his own labs and offices.  Such a pity, Mr. Curtis was once a brilliant man.  Now look at him.  Muttering about wizards as if they existed.  How preposterous is that?" said the doctor with a laugh. 

            "And now he doesn't even know who he is," said the nurse more calmly and seriously.  They walked onward to look in on other patients, leaving Mr. Alexander Curtis to his madness.

*

            Early in the morning at St. Mungo's Hospital, there was much alarm because Ron Weasley was not in his bed when the nurses went to go check on.  They were checking on him every hour, and at six Ron had disappeared.  

            "What do you mean he just disappeared?" demanded Percy angrily when he came to see his brother.

            "We don't know where he went, Mr. Weasley," said the nurse sheepishly as she wrung her hands in distress.  

            "It's all right.  I found him," said Draco as he came back.  "He's out on the courtyard."

            Percy followed Draco to the courtyard where they found Ron doing some Tai Chi.  Ron looked very calm as he did the motions slowly and flawlessly.  He seemed to weave the air into something that was concrete.  He was breathing calmly as he turned and stopped.  His eyes opened as he looked impassively at his older brother.

            "My apologizes.  I haven't been outside for a while.  I just wanted to do some exercise," said Ron.

            Percy's angry went away the moment he saw Ron's soulless eyes.  There was no joy in them.  Percy never noticed that Ron always had a twinkle in his eyes.  It looked like Ron was always up to something.  The twinkle was gone.  Percy didn't want to stop Ron from doing anything that made him remotely happy, so he just nodded in agreement with him.  

            "What is it you're doing exactly?" asked Percy.  He wanted to keep Ron talking.

            "Tai Chi.  It's a form of martial arts.  It's good for relaxation," replied Ron.

            "Today, Professor Dumbledore will be coming to talk to you.  You will also have to talk to some ministry officials," said Percy.  "Don't worry.  I'll be with you when the officials come.  I'll be acting as your advocate."

            "Advocate?  You mean like a lawyer?" asked Ron with a raised eyebrow.

            "Yes.  I'll be protecting your rights.  I've been spending a lot of my time looking through the law books for you.  I don't think the Ministry has ever seen a case like this," answered Percy.  He never saw anything like this.  Why was all this happening to his baby brother?  

            "I am sorry for all the trouble I am causing you.  Thank you very much for helping me," said Ron solemnly.  

            "We have to go and get you some breakfast," said Percy as he gestured for Ron to come with him.

            "Is she coming today?" asked Ron softly.

            Percy stopped and turned.  He knew who Ron was referring to.  "Why wouldn't she?  She loves you," said Percy simply as he went forward.

            The day went by more slowly than the last few days for Ron.  He meant with Professor Dumbledore who he felt he could trust.  Professor Dumbledore kindly questioned Ron for a few hours.  Ron talked comfortable with him.  After that some more doctors came to examine him.  They were talking about using Potions on, but Ron did not want to have any.  He did not trust them.  He was waiting for Hermione to come and visit again with Tyler, but they did not come in the morning.  

            By the afternoon, Ron was feeling more lonely than he for the past three years.  It was ironic because he was constantly surrounded by people during the day.  He wanted to see his wife and son again.  Where were they?  Ron thought back to what Hermione said the day before.  She seemed upset.  He was not sure if he loved her, but he knew that he didn't want to see her hurt.

            "It's time to meet with the Ministry Inquiry Board.  There are a few things you should know first: try not to say anything and only answer questions when you're asked.  I'll handle things," said Percy.  He made his voice less commanding on purpose.  Ron always said that he was bossy.

            Ron gave him a curt nod.  He just wanted to get the damn thing over with, so he could go back to his room and wait for Hermione.  He didn't know why he was still hopeful that she was coming at all.  He glanced at his wedding band as he and Percy walked into a large room with a table and two chairs in front of a group of me.  Ron looked up and saw his father among the men.  Percy's jaw clutched slightly.  He wasn't expecting their father to be there.  

            "Please sit down," ordered the head of the inquiry, Amos Diggory.  Ron and Percy sat down.  Percy was sort of hopeful just then.  With Amos Diggory, he knew that Ron had a better chance.  Amos Diggory's eyes held some compassion.  Looking at Ron, reminded him of his son, Cedric.

            "I am hear as Ronald Weasley's advocate.  My name is Percy Weasley," stated Percy bravely.

            "We would like to know what took place in the compound that belonged to the Continuum," said Amos Diggory.  "We have been questioning everyone.  The only person we have yet to debrief is Mr. Weasley."  During the proceedings, Percy would be known as the "adovocate," so the board was always referring to Ron when they said "Mr. Weasley."

            "My client is not prepared to answer your questions," said Percy immediately.

            "He seems well enough, Advocate.  He will answer our questions," ordered Mr. Diggory.

            Percy glanced at Ron.  He didn't even look like anything they were saying was getting through to him.  He looked impassive.  Ron looked up at Mr. Diggory with calm eyes.  He held a glare with Mr. Diggory.  Mr. Diggory broke his strong gaze.  Ron nodded at Percy. 

            "What happened when you first got inside the compound, Mr. Weasley?" asked Mr. Diggory.

            "I killed off the guards first and got inside the building.  I killed two of the Continuum members.  They were wizards.  I snapped their wands in half…" Ron on went on to tell them everything without living out a single detail.

            There was a general shock from everyone in the room, even Percy didn't know what to say. How was he supposed to defend Ron?  

            "Mr. Weasley, do you remember what the Continuum did to you?" asked Mr. Diggory.  He was almost going to say Muggles, but he knew that half of the Continuum members were wizards and witches.

            Ron shook his head.  "It's over now.  They are gone," whispered Ron.  He sat there quietly.  He had time to think of things.  Time to feel guilty.  Nothing they could do could possibly hurt him.  He had been through hell already.  Let them do whatever they wanted.  His face was still.

            "We will take time before we make any decision, Mr. Weasley.  It is obvious that you have been victimized," said Mr. Diggory.

            "_Victimized_?  I've been dehumanized!" said Ron in a dangerous tone.  "You have no idea.  You think that you can sit up there with your righteousness?  You think you have the power to judge and condemn me?  Nothing you can do to me can possibly be worse than what I have had to endure.  So, go ahead and make you decision now."

            Percy paled over as he glanced at Ron.  Ron's outburst caught him by surprise, and he had no time to stop him.  He held his hand up, but Ron ignored him.  Amos Diggory's eyes seemed to look passed Ron towards something else.  He glanced over to Arthur.  

            "You're mental state does not allow you to be culpable for any of the events that have taken place, Mr. Weasley.  You have a choice," said Mr. Diggory thoughtfully.  The rest of the board did not know what he was thinking of doing.

            Mr. Diggory looked at Ron while talking this time, "You are hereby ordered to undergo any medical procedures.  You are also stripped of your status as an Auror.  You will not be given a wand to practice any magic until you are deem so worthy.  You will have to re-learn all of your magic.  So, say this panel."

            Percy looked stunned because he did not do anything to really defend Ron.  However, Ron didn't look too happy with the results.  "I would rather not have any treatments done to me.  Please.  Those people shoved needles into my arms and my neck.  They pumped me with drugs," pleaded Ron.

            "You will undergo a different kind of therapy, Mr. Weasley.  One that Dr. Granger has suggested," said Mr. Diggory simply as the wizards and witches of the board filed out of the room.  Arthur Wealsey stayed for his son.

            "This is the treatment.  It requires no potions or drugs.  Hermione came up with it.  We are going to use something called a Pensieve.  It's a way of re-living memories," said Arthur as he looked at his son with uncertainty.  

            "Am I trapped here?" asked Ron softly.

            "No, you're not.  However, it's best you stay here for now," answered his father.

            "I doesn't matter anyway.  I have no other place to go," said Ron.  He thought of a place, but he had to make sure that he would be welcomed.  

*

            Hermione stayed at home with her son.  She was afraid of going to the hospital because she knew that Ron was supposed to meet with the inquiry board.  The wizarding newspapers and magazines had articles about the Continuum.  There was an undercurrent of fear among the wizarding community.  They never had any idea that Muggles were capable of doing something almost as awful as Voldemort.  No wizard would think that another wizard would ever betray their own kind for the sake of science.  

            Her thoughts lingered on Ron again.  She kept thinking of the other women that Ron must have been with.  It was driving her to madness.  She felt betrayed.  The logical part of her brain kept telling her that Ron was also a trained killer, but she ignored that.  It was hard to tell whether or not she could blame the Continuum for Ron not keeping his wedding vows or not.  

            The sunset came a little early for Hermione that evening.  The house was quiet like a tomb, and soon Tyler was put to bed.  She went around the house putting up the wards.  The first place she put the wards in was Tyler's room.  She worked her way downstairs.  She placed the ward on the front door and was headed for the backdoor when she turned around and stopped cold.  Her face was pale.

            "It is a beautiful house," commented Ron.  

            "What are you doing here?" gasped Hermione in surprise.  "How did you get here?"

            "I just wanted to see you.  You did not come today.  I just walked out of the hospital.  I wandered my way over here," said Ron.  He advanced forward.  Hermione took a step back away from him.  He stopped in his tracks.  "You seemed upset at the hospital.  I just wanted to see you."  His voice sounded like it was begging her to listen to him.  

            Hermione's eyes filled with tears.  She wanted to turn away from him, but he advanced forward and he took her by the shoulders.  Hermione backed up further until she hit the wall.  She looked away from him.  "Why won't you look at me?" asked Ron softly.  

            "Tell me about her," whispered Hermione finally.  

            "Who?" asked Ron in amazment.

            "Her," whispered Hermione.  She could not bring herself to say the other woman's name.  She looked at his eyes.  They were still dull.

            "Lenore?" whispered Ron as a smile tugged at his lips.  He was so close to her.  Hermione could smell his scent.  He never wore cologne before.  It was almost overwhelming.  

            "Don't smirk at me," pleaded Hermione.  She got the feeling that he was mocking her.

            "You have no idea, do you?  You don't even trust me?" asked Ron as he kept her pinned to the wall.  

            "Tell me about her," insisted Hermione, ignoring his questions.

            "You weren't there because you didn't trust me," whispered Ron.  During the past three years, Ron trusted almost no one.  Not even Lenore Henson.  It was not safe to do so, but now things were different.  Ron wanted Hermione to trust him.  He wanted one person to believe in him.  

            "Tell me about her," repeated Hermione more forcefully.  Her voice was now shaking with anger.  "I won't stay mad."

            "But, you won't forgive me?" asked Ron.  He thought that he had regained his world, but he was wrong.  He was losing it.  He was losing it after gaining it back.  

            "Just tell me if you did anything wi—" Hermione was silenced.  Ron captured her lips in a harsh, painful kiss.  It was a needy kiss.  Hermione was not prepared for such a forceful kiss.  Ron eased up gradually.  He pulled away from her slightly, but kissed her again.  Hermione was more prepared this time.  She kissed him back with just as much need.

            She wondered why she hadn't simply pushed him off.  She realized that she missed more than just emotional or mental; she missed him physically as well.  She didn't move her arms, but she kept kissing him.  She felt his hands along her sides, feeling her curves.  She knew that she wasn't as slender as she used to be, but she kept the weight after Tyler was born because it looked good on her.  

            Ron always felt inhibited when he was with other women.  He always stopped.  Not that anyone would believe it.  He was too focus on finding his past and the woman who gave him his ring.  He felt unrestrained as she responded back to him.  

            Without words, they moved through the room.  They didn't stop.  They kept moving.  They were afraid of the world standing still again.  

*

            Just after midnight, at the Weasley home, Hermione was wide awake looking at the new moon outside.  She felt Ron's arm wrapped around her middle.  Three years ago, she remembered him sleeping like that.  He was always holding her afterwards.  She turned to look at him.  His bangs covered one side of his face.  He looked younger.  He looked like the boy she fell in love with.  

            Hermione moved her hand to move his bangs, but Ron's eyes fluttered open.  "You never asked me if I remembered anything," whispered Ron.

            "What do you remember?" asked Hermione softly.  She still wanted to know what Ron did before.

            "This.  This is the only thing I remember.  I remember being with you like this.  Sometimes during the day, but mostly at night.  Just skin to skin.  Body to body," whispered Ron softly.  His arms were wrapped around her tighter.  "You weren't this soft before."

            "I had a baby," whispered Hermione.  She blushed underneath the moonlight at what Ron said.  Of all the things to remember.  Her breasts were pressed up against his chest.  She placed her hand on his arm.  

            "Oh, Tyler," whispered Ron.  "He's something."  

            "The only thing you could remember was making love to me?  I supposed so.  We were trying to have Tyler," said Hermione.  She should have guessed that Ron would only remember something like that.  

            "The answer to your question.  No.  There hasn't been anyone else.  Not with dreams that were that real.  You don't have to take my word for it," whispered Ron.

            "I believe you," said Hermione as she finally fell asleep.

            The next morning, Hermione woke up alone in bed.  She sat up quickly.  She thought that the whole thing was a dream.  She felt alone again until she heard voices coming from Tyler's room.  She slowly she rose from bed.  She put on a robe because the air felt cold against her naked body.  She didn't bother to put her slippers on her bare feet as she walked towards the voices.

            She peeked around the corner.  Ron was holding Tyler in his arms.  They were sitting on the rocking chair.  "Daddy, I'm hungry," said Tyler.

            "I know, but your mummy is sleeping.  She's tired," said Ron.

            "Hmm…why don't we wake her up?" asked Tyler, obviously he was thinking of his tummy first before his mummy.

            "I'm sure you can wait a little bit," said Ron softly.  

            "Daddy, are you going to stay with us?" asked Tyler with a hopefully look in his blue eyes.  "Mummy needs Daddy."  

            "You did a good job taking care of Mummy," said Ron.

            "Yes, Tyler is the bestest," said Tyler with a smile.

            "It's 'best,' Tyler," corrected Ron gently.  "Are we talking too loudly for you, Angel?" he asked.  Hermione came out of doorway into Tyler's room with a sheepish grin.  She should have known that Ron knew that she was there.

            "Good morning," said Hermione to the men in her life.

            "I'm hungry," announced Tyler again.  Hermione ignored him again to kiss Ron.  Tyler pouted because his mummy always kissed him first before getting his breakfast.  Hermione picked Tyler up and kissed his plump cheek.  "We'll go and get breakfast now," agreed Hermione.

            Ron stood up and followed both of them downstairs.  She noticed that Ron was wearing his pajamas that came from the drawers.  It seemed all so normal as if he was never absent from the house.  Tyler was put into his chair with a booster seat.  He disliked the highchair.

            Hermione prepared pancakes for them to eat.  She took the time to make small ones for Tyler who was talking to his father.  Ron was the one who got him some orange juice and milk.  Hermione prepared coffee for Ron and tea for herself.  She made the coffee with three sugars and two creams.  It was the way Ron took his coffee.  

            He looked at her bewildered when she handed it to him.  He always took his coffee black and his bread unbuttered during his time as Dante.  He took one sipped of the coffee and realized how familiar it tasted.  He and Hermione started to eat breakfast quietly.

            Tyler just shoved the pancakes into his mouth, causing some disproving looks from his mother.  His father looked mildly amused at his antics.  "Tyler, please don't do that.  It's rude," scolded Hermione.

            Tyler gave her a cute look, but he couldn't answer her.  His cheeks resembled a chipmunk's.  He made an appeal to his father who could only laugh softly at the sight of him.  It was the first time in three years Ron laughed at anything.  Hermione's glare softened.  Ron looked alive, while Tyler looked confused.  

*

            Percy couldn't believe it.  Ron did it again to him.  He was shouting orders to find Ron.  Security was lifted due to the ruling of Amos Diggory.  Ron was supposed to remain at the hospital for treatment.  Percy needed to find him.  He didn't want to face Hermione and tell her that they once again misplaced her husband.

            At around ten, Percy looked up to see Ron walking back into the hospital with Hermione and Tyler.  "Where the Hell have you been?!" shouted Percy, regardless of his small nephew's presence.

            "At home with my family," replied Ron.  

            "I'm sorry Percy," whispered Hermione.

            "Do you know that I have had the Aurors looking for him?  For your sake?" said Percy in a lowered tone.  

            "Why are you mad, Uncle Percy?" asked Tyler.  He was holding his mother and father's hands. 

            "Your father made me a promise, but he didn't keep it," said Percy to Tyler in a calmer voice.  Percy could swear he was going to go bald because of Ron.  "You have to start your treatments soon," said Percy to Ron.  He only gave him a nod.

            "We have to have everyone gathered here to put something into the Pensieve.  You go first Hermione because you have a lot to contribute.  Mum and Dad along with everyone else is preparing to do the same.  Draco is also going to put something in.  You need as many memories as you can get.  Even not so good ones," said Percy ruefully.

            "You mean Malfoy?" asked Ron calmly.

            "Yes.  You didn't exactly get along with him," said Percy.  "He's willing to put some of those memories in there."

            "We have to be careful not to confuse you.  It's from different perspectives, so we have to do this gradually," said Hermione.  

            "We'll see," said Ron.  Tyler had his arms crossed and he was pouting again.  His daddy was ignoring him.  Finally, he dropped his mother's hand and thrust his arms up towards Ron.  "Yes, Tyler?"

            "Uppy?  Please?" asked Tyler.  Ron picked him up.  "So, high!" declared Tyler gleefully.  Hermione looked at them.  She thought about the future and what it could bring.

            That day treatments began that would continue on for the next two years.  Everyone that Ron ever had contacted with contributed into the Pensieve.  He viewed the memories of everyone else.  He need treatment for post traumatic stress, but Hermione personally helped him with it.  Things were never going to be the same again for Ron.  He was more mature now.  His status as an Auror was gone, but he could not remember being one, so he could not miss it.

            A new dawn came into the wizarding world.  The Muggle world was more than just next to it.  It could harm it.  Arthur Weasley gave up his position to be Minister of Magic.  The position was turned over to Amos Diggory.  Arthur Weasley headed up the Department of Muggle Relations and Interaction.  The first place to start with be with those Muggles who were married to wizards and witches along with parents or close relatives of wizards and witches.  The department would also take care of dealing with wizards and witches.  The new policy at Hogwarts was the requirement of Muggle Studies for one year for all students.  It was not an order that the Slytherin were happy with, but it was strictly enforced by the Ministry.  

            Arthur Weasley stated the problem between wizards and Muggles best: "It does not matter whether it was a wizard or Muggle that carried out Project Lazarus.  It does matter that the members of the Continuum were both wizards and Muggles.  The only good thing we have learned from all this is that there is a possibility that wizards and Muggles can relate on equal terms.  After all, we are still human beings."

AN: Ron's not going to take potions.  It was the chemicals that did the damage to his brain and made new pathways.  Does anyone honestly think Ron will allow them to do more stuff to him other than something like the Pensieve?  And I just remembered that Neville Longbottom's parents are also in St. Mungo's because of what the Death Eaters did to them.  Yes, it was magically induced, and so is Ron's situation partly.  The doctors could not help the Longbottoms.  I'm just getting a little tired of the nitpicking (the whole potions thing seems to be throwing people off).  People aren't reading closely enough, and I've paid close attention to the details of what I've written that the Continuum's methods.  Some readers think it's a simple as pouring potions down Ron's throat.  Sorry, folks get real.  Even after the potions, Ron's still got to deal with his problems.  Magic can't fix everything.

It's the strangest thing.  People can pick out the grammatically errors really easily, but not the subtle and minor, but important plot points.  The grammatically errors are also minor, but more noticeable.  Hmm…perhaps I should purposely make grammatically errors around important, subtle plot points?  

Sorry about delays.  It is mostly due to sheer laziness on my part, along with other projects.  I'm so sorry, but the last part will be later.  I have finals next week.  ^_^  The last part will be called "Hermione."  So, you can guess, I'm returning to first person for that one.  The ending is going to be bittersweet.  That's just how the story is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  


	21. Hermione

Living Memory

Epilogue: Hermione

            I look forward towards the horizon.  It is a beautiful day.  My husband and son are walking along the beach together.  Tyler is showing Ron the world through the eyes of a child.  The treatments with the Pensieve have been going as well as anyone could expect.  Ron is still quiet at times, and the humor he once had is slowly coming back.  I doubt that his sense of humor will come back to the way it was. 

            "Look, Daddy!" said Tyler as he guides Ron to look at a cluster of starfish.

            "There's a lot of them.  They like shallow water," said Ron.

            Ron still feels a lot of pain and loss.  Ron made the request of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Adams, the parents of Samantha Adams, to tell them about her.  The meeting was fret with pain and heartache for all three of them.

            _Mr. and Mrs. Adams' home in Salem, Massachusetts was small and cozy.  They were expecting us.  I remember how old they seemed.  Ron's parents had the same wore look.  Mrs. Adams greeted Ron as if he were a son.  _

_            "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," said Mr. Adams in a weak voice._

_            "I am sorry about what happened to your daughter," I said to Mr. Adams in a helpless voice.  I was glad that Ron was alive, but I also felt guilty about all the other families.  Their loved ones were never coming home again. _

_            "I've read the news, Mrs. Weasley.  I know what happened to my daughter," said Mr. Adams in a sad tone.  _

_            "I made a promise to her, Mr. Adams.  I promised her I would bring her home.  I brought this back to you.  She's buried in Boston," whispered Ron.  "It's my fault she died."_

_            "It is not your fault.  It is not the Continuum's fault.  It is just how things happened, my dear," said Mrs. Adams as she took the precious necklace from Ron.  Her eyes were filled with unshed tears._

_            I watched as my husband's expressionless eyes turn to sadness.  He's in more pain than I could imagine.  I can't help, but blame everything on the Continuum.  It amazed me that the Adams could blame no one.  _

_            "She's in a place where no one can harm her," said Mr. Adams._

_            "My dear.  You were the one who stayed with her.  You should keep this.  It will protect you. It protected her.  She did not die alone.  Keep this with you," whispered Mrs. Adams as she unclasped the necklace and placed it around Ron's neck.  She planted a tender, maternal kiss on his cheek.  _

_            He embraced her.  Mrs. Adams held him like a mother.  "You will come to her memorial service won't you?" asked Mrs. Adams. _

_            "You don't even have to ask," I answered for both of us._

_            We stayed in Salem for two days before the memorial service.  Samantha Adams' body was reburied in Salem.  It was a very difficult day for my husband and me._

            Ron hasn't really cut his hair since he came home.  His mother made no attempt to force him.  I thought it made him look younger than before.  His heart is heavy most of the time.  He is more thoughtful and observant.  He was a student in human nature. 

            The nights are still the most difficult times for Ron.  He sometimes wakes up in a cold sweat with his heart racing and his breathing shallow.  I do the only thing I can do.  I hold him until his fears subside again.  Once after making love, he broke out into sobs.  I held him until the morning that night.  

            Ron always tries to keep his fears and nightmares between us.  He never really expresses them to his family or to Tyler.  Harry knows about Ron's fears.  He talks to Ron on long stretches.  At first, Ron stayed closer to me and Tyler.  He kept his distance from everyone else.

            Harry and Ron talk often.  Harry retells the tales from our school days at Hogwarts.  Ron listens more these days than he used to.  He is more patient.  Harry and I contributed the most into the Pensieve because the three of us share so many secrets.

            Tyler loves his father.  He is now four-years-old.  He takes after his father and through him Ron can see himself as a boy.  The center of Tyler's world is Ron.  He likes to follow his father around.  He even likes to copy the way he walks and sits.  Ron is puzzled by Tyler's attitude towards him.  He wonders why a small boy worships the ground he walks on.  Tyler is talking more than ever, but unlike most people, Ron always hears him out.  

            My relationship with my husband has changed on many levels.  I realized that center of Ron's world as Dante was me.  It was me that he was looking for, not his old life.  I have remained by his side always.  Does he love me?

            At first glance, I am not sure.  However, sometimes, when Ron doesn't think I'm watching, I can tell he watches me.  The look on his face tells me that he loves me.  He doesn't let me know it through words.  Ron's new patience allows him to take his time.  He smiles at me and I still feel like I'm going to melt in the inside.  We go out together on dates to get reacquainted with each other.  Tyler stays at home with Harry during those evenings.  Tyler likes to giggle at me and his father.  

            Ron's magic progresses slowly.  The whole concept is foreign to him.  Just recently, we were at Mr. Ollivander's shop again in Diagon Alley.  He was rather surprise to find that Ron's wand was now different from his old one.  His wand now is made out of mahogany with a dragon's heartstring in it.  Mr. Ollivander said that it had to be something stronger to reflect his powers.  Mr. Ollivander didn't expect that wand to change so drastically for Ron.

            At times, it is frustrating for Ron.  It must be.  For the most part, I am the one who is re-teaching that magic to him.  He remains patient, but there are times where both of us just stop for day.  The Pensieve helped him relive some of the lessons, but things were still different.  Ron's powers were suppressed for so long.  They are coming back full force and with extra power.  It is slow going because Ron has to start at the beginning.  I wouldn't be surprised if it took another seven years before he is fully ready.  

            "Daddy, look at the crab," said Tyler as he pointed at the little shells with little feet making its way to the shallow water.

            "How do you know there is a crab in there?" asked Ron.

            "Mummy said so," replied Tyler.  

            "Then, there must be a crab in there," agreed Ron.  

            I smile at the conversation.  Tyler was growing up so fast, and Ron felt bad about missing so much.  Tyler doesn't know how much he helps his father.  He assumes that his father knows everything.  Tyler is getting taller already.  He is going to be as big as his father.  

            I think of the world.  We're at the beach.  It seems so perfectly calm here.  I know better.  All around us there is a conflict brewing.  The wizarding world is more paranoid of the Muggles than ever.  Draco Malfoy scoffs at the very idea.  They have no magic what could they possible do to us?  The only reason why the Continuum succeed was because of the wizards and witches that were with them.  Either way, people are more and more mistrusting.  The new students arriving to Hogwarts can feel it.  All over the world, the news of the Continuum spread.  The Muggles knew about the labs, but they thought it was due to the madness of Alexander Curtis.  The press of the wizarding world wanted to know what the Continuum's findings were, but the findings were sealed by the Ministry of Magic by the Department of Mysteries' Bode and Croaker.  

            I know what the findings were, and they were miraculous.  The Continuum had unlock the genetic code for magic.  The findings were enough to make any pure blood uneasy; they weren't as special as they thought they were.  The Ministry is very careful now.  They don't want another group of Death Eaters or another Continuum to arise out of the ashes.  For all the bad things the Continuum did, they still had valuable information.  However, most of the wizards couldn't understand the science behind all of it.  They were completely unaware of the Muggle magic known as science.  They had no idea that Muggles learned how to manipulate nature and space.  They had no idea that some had come up with equations that could predict the speed of an object or how to make potent potions.  

            I am still an Auror, and now there is more work than ever.  I am allowed to be away, while Percy, Harry, and Draco continue to work tirelessly.  Harry and Draco are now permanent partners, which is something they both begrudgingly accept.  Percy makes sure that the Aurors don't use excessive force against the Muggles.  

            It was still unbelievable to many that wizards would even think of helping Muggles in the pursuit of unlocking the secrets of magic.  Charles Jones was very popular among the British and Irish wizards.  Many felt betrayed by his deception, none more than his wife.  The names of the wizard Continuum members were published.  Their families were thrown into utter disgraced.  

            Amos Diggory will not allow paranoia to overtake all of us.  With my father-in-law's help, Minister Diggory has kept the hysteria low, but not the underlying fear.  I am afraid of the future for my son and husband.  When people see Ron, they are afraid of him.  The only people who aren't afraid of him other than myself, Tyler, and his family are Harry, Draco, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.  The Ministry admires Ron for his ability to survive, but they know of the things he has done.  

            The dark days of Dante will never leave Ron.  As I have said, he still has nightmares at night.  Ron has more to be afraid of than anyone else.  He had his own demons within him.  Before, he was the strength that I drew on, now I am his.  Our family will never be the same again.  The other families of the other victims of the Continuum now have the closure that they needed.  I know why they are called the Continuum because the damage they have done has really no beginning or end.  It will always remain in the world.  

            A new dawn approaches all of us, but we cannot let ourselves be afraid of what the future holds.  Ron and I will face this brave new world together.  We are each other's past, present, and future.  

            "Mummy!" called Tyler to me.  

            "I'm coming, my love," I said as I walk towards my husband and son.  

            Everything is all right for now.  The future is uncertain, but together we can do anything.

AN: This has got to be the riskiest fic I've ever written.  It wasn't a typical Ron and Hermione fic.  I'm still trying to decide what I really want to do for the next fic.  After reading some Lily and Marauders fics and JK's articles about Sirius and Remus, I feel like doing something different.  I was thinking of doing a superhero thing or a fic about Sirius Black and his family.  I'm still writing the Angel of the Apocalypse if anyone cares.  People tend to ask for it to be updated as part of a review for other fics, so it's hard to gauge the interest in it.  This month is my birthday.  It's a date that's mentioned in the fourth book.  ^_^  Can anyone figure it out?  That's the only clue I'll give.  

What would I like for my birthday?  I don't know.  I'm still waiting for my Harry Potter DVD to come in the mail.  ;_;  

Not a really happy ending, not a really sad ending.  Just an ending with a glimmer of hope.  

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and most of the characters.  They belong to JK Rowling.  


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